Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash

Jenny Kane: Coffee, cupcakes, chocolate and contemporary fiction / Jennifer Ash: Medieval crime with hints of Ellis Peters and Robin Hood

Category: Contemporary fiction Page 12 of 59

Mill Grange goes audio!

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On April 5, 2022

In Audio, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Jenny Kane, Mill Grange, Romance, Uncategorized

Today, I’m delighted to be able to announce that all four of my Mill Grange novels are soon to be available as audio books!

The first in the series – Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange – is now available as an unabridged audio story this week

Blurb

Thea Thomas needs to get away from her old life…and the interfering ex who won’t leave her alone. When she lands a job heading up the restoration of Mill Grange, a stunning Victorian manor in Somerset, it feels like the perfect opportunity to start afresh.

What she didn’t anticipate was how hostile the volunteer team – led by the formidable Mabel Hastings – would be about accepting new leadership. And with the deadline looming before the grand opening, Thea is in desperate need of more volunteers.

A broadcast appeal on the local news attracts the interest of troublesome but undeniably attractive celebrity historian Shaun Cowlson, who wants to make a TV programme about the restoration. It’s hard enough adding one more big personality to the mix – but then her ex turns up as one of the volunteers! What seemed like a dream come true is fast becoming a total disaster! Can Thea find a way to save the manor?

A warm-hearted, feel-good romance from Jenny Kane, a Kindle number one best-selling author.

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about the Mill Grange series becoming audiobooks. I’m a big fan of listening to stories, so having my own work converted into 10 hours and 19 minutes of gentle fiction, read to you by renown audio narrator, Emma Powell, is something of a dream come true. I’m very much looking forward to hearing how Thea, Tina, Mabel and friends will be portrayed as they get to grips with life at Mill Grange – a Victorian manor on Exmoor.
You can order your audiobook from all good retailers, including…

Focus on: A Cornish Escape

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On March 31, 2022

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Cornwall, Fiction, Jenny Kane, Romance

This week, let’s focus in on my first Cornish romance/romcom – A Cornish Escape.

Abi’s life is turned upside down when she is widowed before her thirtieth birthday. Determined to find something positive in the upheaval, Abi decides to make a fresh start somewhere new. With fond childhood memories of holidays in a Cornish cottage, could Cornwall be the place to start over?

With all her belongings in the boot of her car but no real plan, a chance meeting in a village pub brings new friends Beth and Max into her life. Max soon helps Abi track down the house of her dreams but things aren’t as simple as Abi hoped.

Can Abi leave her past behind and finally get her happy ending?

(A Cornish Escape was previously published as Abi’s House)

Buy Links– A Cornish Escape is available from all good bookshops and e-retailers – including…

Amazon – mybook.to/ACornishEscape 

Waterstones- https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-cornish-escape/jenny-kane/9781786157683

Kobo – A Cornish Escape eBook by Jenny Kane – 9781472275431 | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

Nook – A Cornish Escape eBook by Jenny Kane – 9781472275431 | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

***

Here are some of the lovely reviews my kind readers have given A Cornish Escape

‘…I often caught myself smiling for pages on end and found it nearly impossible to put down. It’s a genuine treat to read, with a dual narrative (easy to follow) and not too short chapters to allow you to get into the story, but not too long so it breaks the flow.

‘It had the right amount of romance, to perfect scenery, and exciting plot which just makes A Cornish Escape an all-round lovely read.

‘It’s got an original concept and is all about finding yourself with a gorgeous backdrop – I often want to escape and move to France/ New York, so it was nice to see someone else do this (albeit fictional, but Abi feels real!), and her journey towards becoming happier.

‘I genuinely sit on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book by this author – I can’t get enough of Kane’s writing style and heart-warming stories which keep you engaged throughout….’

You can read the rest of this incredible review at Bookmark That 

‘…I absolutely loved it and only have positive things to say!  The storyline is wonderful, enchanting and draws you in. Jenny Kane does such an amazing job of describing the scenery and I honestly felt like I was there, in Cornwall, on the adventure with Abi.  It made me really want to be in Cornwall right now!  From the sea, to the little tea/coffee shops, to the shop and the houses – you can see and feel it all.  I could even imagine the seagulls having a sing in the morning (easy when I live near the sea I suppose!).  A Cornish Escape has just re-enforced the fact that I have to visit Cornwall at some point – I seem to be drawn to it and this made me love it so much more.

So on to the characters…….I adore Abi, the protagonist.  She has had a bit of rough time, her Husband has recently passed away, and she is trying to re-find herself.  Learning about what she’s been through, and making new friends with her, you can’t help but fall in love with her. I was behind her every decision and felt so protective; just like she’s one of my real life friends!!  Beth and Max are both equally amazing.  They’re exactly the sort of people you’d want to bump into and be taken under their wing.  Again, you can’t help but love them and only want the best for them.  And probably my ultimate favourites – Stan and his dog!  Amazing and utterly adorable, I just wanted to hug him constantly! But as you would expect, not everyone can be nice…..and there is one character you will not love and not route for.  He is a piece of work and the things he gets up to will shock you – I honestly just wanted to punch him myself!

Although this is a happy and heartwarming story, don’t be fooled.  This will also take you on a bit of a rollercoaster as you go on the journey with Abi.  At points I was fuming, then I was hoping and had everything crossed, then I was nearly in tears, and then I’d be smiling!  But this is because Jenny Kane has done such a wonderful job of making the characters relatable, real and loveable.

The story is enjoyable to read; a dual-narrative that is easy to follow with a beautiful plot.  I honestly couldn’t give this any more praise!  If you’re looking for your next read and fancy something that you will enjoy reading, will draw you in and make you completely invested in the characters; whilst taking you on a journey to beautiful Cornwall then this is for you.  You really don’t want to miss this, it will warm your insides and put a big smile on your face.  This comes highly recommended by me – I’m glad I have the paperback to keep and read again and I’m so excited that there is another book, A Cornish Wedding which I cannot wait to read!… ‘  You can read the rest of this amazing review at Curled Up With A Good Book 

 

‘…Chicken soup for the soul!

A Cornish Escape isn’t just about romance. It is also about loss, recovery, starting over, and many acts of basic human kindness. It doesn’t feature only the young and the beautiful. There is a wide spectrum of characters, including the elderly who are portrayed with great sensitivity. Stan is my absolute hero, and he is no spring chicken!

If you’re feeling slightly under the weather and a little bit stuck in emotional lockdown, warm your heart up with that lovely story. It is well written with beautiful descriptions of Cornwall which are vivid enough to make you feel, just for that one fleeting moment, that you are actually there….’ BookMarkedReviews 

‘…A Cornish Escape by Jenny Kane was a wonderfully uplifting, cosy and fun-loving story with a cast of chatty, vibrant characters and a setting so delightfully charming it will entice you in a way that you’ll find impossible to ignore. This is the first of Jenny Kane’s books I’ve had the pleasure of reading and I can honestly say I’m already looking forward to more from the author. This story tugged me into its pages and wrapped me up in the wonderful world within, so much so that I really didn’t want to stop reading for having to return to reality, which seemed nowhere near as picturesque and romantic as the Cornish coast….’ The Book Babe Reviews

‘I love this book so much…just reading it can make me smell the beaches, the vinegar on the chips, the clotted cream mmmmmm …’  Reader review from Facebook.

‘Its’ a fabulous fabulous fabulous. You wont just read it, you will live it…and who wouldn’t want to live in the best place called Cornwall…’ Reader review from Facebook.

Focus On: Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange

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On March 21, 2022

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Jenny Kane, Mill Grange, Romance

As I head off for a week of teaching and guest-care at the Northmoor Writing Retreat, I thought it would be nice to leave you with a little look at the first in the #MillGrange #series – Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange – a set of novels inspired by Northmoor itself.

Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange

A warm-hearted, feel-good romance from Jenny Kane, a Kindle #1 bestselling author.

Thea Thomas needs to get away from her old life… and the interfering ex who won’t leave her alone. When she lands a job heading up the restoration of Mill Grange, a stunning Victorian manor in Somerset, it feels like the perfect opportunity to start afresh.

What Thea didn’t anticipate was how hostile the volunteer team, led by the formidable Mabel Hastings, would be about accepting new leadership. And with the deadline looming before the grand opening, Thea is in desperate need of more volunteers.

A broadcast appeal on the local news attracts the interest of arrogant but undeniably attractive celebrity historian Shaun Cowlson, who wants to make a TV programme about the restoration. It’s hard enough adding one more big personality to the mix – but then her ex turns up as one of the volunteers! What seemed like a dream come true is fast becoming a total disaster! Can Thea find a way to save the manor?

Available from all good bookshops, and as an ebook, from Nook, Kobo, as well as Amazon UK and Amazon US,

                                                             Northmoor House

Here are a few of the very kind reviews, Midsummer Dreams, has prompted.

‘… I particularly liked the book’s setting – Mill Grange is vividly drawn, the details of its renovation, the impending opening celebrations and the question mark over its future driving the overarching story. The surroundings of Exmoor are well used too – there’s that really strong sense of place that I always look for and enjoy.

The romance elements are something I equally enjoyed – both romantic threads have their unexpected twists and turns, and both are entirely satisfying (and particularly heartwarming) in the way they’re resolved.

But there’s also a fair bit of well developed tension too – both over the future of Mill Grange and the dogged and determined pursuit by Thea’s increasingly sinister ex. And there’s one particular episode that had me on the edge of my seat, real danger particularly well handled and very well written.

And while I’m talking about the writing, I will mention how much I loved that too. The author has a style that’s very easy to read, comfortable to relax and disappear into – this was perfect summer reading, and most definitely recommended…’ Being Anne

‘Another book that feels like a cuddle from Jenny.

Set against the romantic backdrop of Exmoor this book helps you escape for a few hours. We meet new friends working to restore one of Exmoor’s treasures. A lovely cast of characters had me rolling my eyes at their antics and cheering for a certain couple. Looking forward to see what else is going to happen at Mill Grange.’ Goodreads

‘Thea Thomas needs to get away from her old life…and the interfering ex who won’t leave her alone. When she lands a job heading up the restoration of Mill Grange, a stunning Victorian manor in Devon, it feels like the perfect opportunity to start afresh…
I hadn’t realised when picking this book that it was set in the lovely Exmoor, not too far from where I live. The various mentions of local landmarks, from Tarr Steps to Cold Harbour Mill, just added to the warm feeling I got from reading this great story… My first #jennykane read but definitely not my last.’  Goodreads

‘Thea, smart, focused, and an expert in her field, all she wants is to successfully complete her project … and to avoid a thorn in her past that keeps popping up. Fortunately, there are far worse places to soak up a challenge than Mill Grange. Author Jenny Krane expertly wraps Thea’s problems around one of the most enchanting settings of the year, and it’s fascinating as she taps into the nitty gritty and some of the challenges—especially the financial—that come with large scale restoration projects.

Of course, while the landscape provides plenty of fun and tension, the real heat stems from Thea herself. Krane has written her with such a vulnerability that, when she senses the first bit of tension on the horizon, there’s genuine worry. Will the project finish on time? Will she get the volunteers on her side? How will she handle her ex? Thea has a headache around practically every corner. Even so, Krane balances everything out with plenty of levity. A cast of quirky cast, small town drama, and the potential spark of romance all blend together to keep things jaunty.

A total joy from beginning to end, Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange, unlike the titular property, needs no renovation. It’s downright sweet.’ Netgalley

‘A lovely book set in a beautiful stately home which you can imagine yourself there as you read.’ Netgalley

‘Very enjoyable. Being part of a small team dealing with a local restoration project and volunteers made this book all the more enjoyable.  I know I have met a few Mabel’s in my life. As with all Jenny’s books she easily captures your imagination and makes you feel like you are there getting stuck in.’ Netgalley 

Happy Birthday to Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange

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On March 3, 2022

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Mill Grange, Opening Lines Blog

Book three in the #MillGrange series is a year old today!

Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange.

BLURB

Helen Rogers has been lying to herself over her feelings for Tom since the moment they met. And for good reason; not only are they colleagues, working together with the archaeology groups at Mill Grange, but her sabbatical is almost over and she’ll soon have to return to Bath.

Tom Harris knows he’s falling in love with Helen. How could he not? She’s smart, kind and great with his son Dylan. But with his ex-wife suddenly offering him a chance to spend more time with Dylan, and the staff of Mill Grange about to host a wedding, everything else has to be put to one side. Even his feelings for a certain archaeologist.

As Helen’s time at Mill Grange runs short, the two are forced to consider what matters most…

 

Set in the beautiful Exmoor countryside, on the border of Devon and Somerset, Spring Blossoms, continues the story of Thea, Shaun, Sam, Tina, Mable and Bert – as well as Helen and Tom, who were newcomers to the house in Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange.

Here’s the prologue…

Helen cradled the stone in her palm. The size of a cookie, grey in colour, it was jagged on one side and smooth on the other. Once upon a time it had been part of the bedrock; a tiny fragment of the geology that had formed the basis of the village of Upwich and its surrounds. Now, however, it felt like the most precious possession she’d ever owned.

She hadn’t had the heart to tell Dylan that it wasn’t an exciting find from the Roman fortlet they were excavating in Mill Grange’s garden. The five-year-old had been so thrilled to be able to help his dad, Tom, when they’d peeled the tarpaulin off the archaeological site after a frosty winter, that when he’d picked up the stone and run to her, his face wide with pleasure, she’d held it with a reverence normally reserved for the crown jewels.

The boy’s eyes had got wider and wider as she’d told him about the land beneath Exmoor, how it had formed, and how the stone he’d found was part of that.

Helen had been conscious of Tom’s eyes on her as his son had sat on her knee and listened with rapt attention to every word she said.

Laying the stone back on her desk, tucked neatly in the corner of the store room, Helen sighed. She had come to Mill Grange to take a break from the pressures of her management job. She had not come to fall in love – especially not with Tom – a man with a horrendous track record with woman – and a son…

You don’t have to have read Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange or Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange, to enjoy Spring Blossoms, although you’d probably get more from the story if you have. Spring Blossoms is then followed by Winter Fires at Mill Grange.

If you would like to buy a copy of Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange, you can purchase a copy from all good retailers, including…

AMAZON
KOBO
APPLE
WATERSTONES
BARNES & NOBLE
GOOGLE PLAY
WHSMITH

Many thanks for dropping by today,

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Focus On: Another Glass of Champagne

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On March 1, 2022

In Another Cup of..., Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Romance

A warm-hearted, contemporary tale about a group of friends living in a small corner of busy London, by bestselling author Jenny Kane.

Fortysomething Amy is shocked and delighted to discover she’s expecting a baby – not to mention terrified! Amy wants best friend Jack to be godfather, but he hasn’t been heard from in months.

When Jack finally reappears, he’s full of good intentions – but his new business plan could spell disaster for the beloved Pickwicks Coffee Shop, and ruin a number of old friendships… Meanwhile his love life is as complicated as ever – and yet when he swears off men for good, Jack meets someone who makes him rethink his priorities…but is it too late for a fresh start?

Author Kit has problems of her own: just when her career has started to take off, she finds herself unable to write – and there’s a deadline looming, plus two headstrong kids to see through their difficult teenage years…will she be able to cope?

 

A follow-up to the runaway success Another Cup of Coffee.

Available as:

A paperback or ebook from Amazon UK, Amazon.com, Nook, Kobo, and all good retailers.

***

Reviews:

“It’s nice to have the whole gang back together for the series finale, along with a couple of new faces to join in with – and add to – the drama along the way! Jenny Kane has tied up some loose ends perfectly, whilst at the same time creating enough new openings to wish that this wasn’t the last we will see of Jack, Amy, Kit et al.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was sad to get to the end (even though I raced through to find out what would happen next!) I hope someone can convince the author to give us one last visit to Pickwicks… or maybe two ;)” Amazon UK

“…Going to miss this bunch, a lot…” Amazon UK

Paperback cover

“I adore delving into the lives of these characters. Their stories make me feel like I’m sitting in the coffee shop, sharing them with them as old friends. I really hope this fabulous book won’t be the final chapter in this beautiful world where I feel completely at home. Please Jenny, treat us to a little cup or glass of something else.” Amazon UK

“I just can’t get enough of Jenny Kane & her lovely characters. Reading her novels renew your faith in mankind & leave you with a warm feeling inside. So we’ll written are the characters that you expect to see them in every café you visit. Brilliant escapism & best drank sipping hot black coffee.” Amazon UK

 

Opening Lines with Morwenna Blackwood: Underrated

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On February 24, 2022

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, crime, Fiction, Opening Lines Blog, thriller

I’m delighted to be welcoming Morwenna Blackwood back to my blog today, with the first 500 words from her brand new novel, Underrated.

Underrated is the third novel in the Glasshouse series. The novels stand alone as stories, but they are interconnected. In Underrated, we get Will’s version of events and find out why you should never underestimate a friend…

BLURB

I stand as close as I can to the Liver Building without looking proper weird and tip my head back. My eyes can’t focus properly, but I can make out a turquoise shape right at the top, soI mouth ’iya to Bella. I’m a bit soft on the Liver Birds. They’re 300-odd feet up in the air, so they should be able to see everything, but they’re chained down…

A story of the far-reaching effects of unrequited love and drug (ab)use, Underrated follows five lads who are just trying to make things better for themselves. In Liverpool and on the south Devon coast, their lives entangle as they turn to cocaine.

While some people take drugs to escape their circumstances, others deal drugs to escape theirs. But is escape ever really an option?

First 500 words of Underrated

It’s like tinnitus.

The silence with Mum and Dad in the front room is deafening and all-encompassing. Dad’s pretending to read the Sunday paper, and Mum’s pretending to read the magazine that came with it. I’m scanning the free paper for cheap, second-hand cars, but the pressure in the room renders me incapable of it, so instead I stare out of the patio doors at a load of crows that are hopping about on the lawn. There’s that phrase – you could have cut the tension with a knife. In all honesty, I wish one of them would cut the other with a knife – or me, or, better still, darling Dominic – because then it would be over with. The atmosphere in here is so tense that it’s given me a blinding headache. I stand, deciding to retreat up to my cave, and the sudden movement makes the crows take flight. I wish I could just fly away. Why the fuck do we all go on with this charade?! I can feel myself going mental; at some point I’ll crack and then I’ll take things into my own hands and force a change. Because this is absurd. It’s pathetic. It’s fucking killing me!

My bedroom – I think of it as my cave – is small; a dark box with a north-facing window. Even though I’m the oldest, I got last pick – or rather no pick – of the bedrooms, but mine does have a built-in wardrobe, so that, apparently, makes everything all right. Anyway, this room is all I’ve got, so it’s my refuge.

Though I want to slam it, I close my door quietly. It doesn’t matter how loud I am – no one notices me, so I don’t bother any more. I stare out of my bedroom window onto what is probably the most uninspiring view known to man: the length of our parquet-paved cul-de-sac, with its widely spaced four-bedroom houses and their uniform lawns that run flat from the house to the kerb. All the front gardens sport the designer slash that the housing developers refer to as ‘landscaping’, which is basically a strip of clay soil planted with hardy shrubs and a rowan sapling that wears a wire mesh dress. Outside every door are the generic pansies and lobelia in pots, in varying states of health. And then there’s the big, posh house – the former show home – at the open end of the cul-de-sac, blocking out the rolling hills and anything else that might be behind it, except the main road that connects our estate to everything and everywhere else in this shitty little town, which is basically nothing and nowhere.

I can hear my younger sister, Sally, in the kitchen; her overbright voice chirping on about biscuits and essays, while she makes another fucking cup of tea. I want to scream at her to stop it! I grab the nearest sheet of plain A3 to me – I draw a lot, there’s stuff everywhere – and shove it up against the window…

Buy-links:

The (D)Evolution of Us – mybook.to/devolution

Glasshouse – http://mybook.to/glasshousenovel

Underrated – mybook.to/underrated

Author biog:

BIO

When she was six years old, Morwenna wrote an endless story about a frog, and hasn’t stopped writing since.

She is the author of bestselling noir psychological thrillers, The (D)Evolution of Us and Glasshouse, has an MA in Creative Writing, and can usually be found down by the sea. Her third novel, Underrated, was published by #darkstroke 14/02/22.

She often thinks about that frog.

Social media links:

www.morwennablackwoodauthor.com

www.amazon.com/author/morwennablackwood

www.facebook.com/morwennablackwood

Twitter: @MorwennaBlackw1

Instagram: morwennablackwood_

TikTok: @morwennablackwood

Many thanks Morwenna.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

Preorder: Frost Falls at The Potting Shed

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On February 21, 2022

In Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Jenny Kane, Romance, The Potting Shed

 My next novel, Frost Falls at The Potting Shed is now available for preorder!

(Out on 27th October)

A long time to wait perhaps, but while you’re busy reading lots of other books in the meantime, I promise I’m hard at work writing it’s sequel.

Scroll down to read the blurb!

BLURB

It has always been Maddie Willand‘s dream to take over her father’s plant nursery. But after his sudden death, she is devastated to discover that she might lose The Potting Shed forever.

Maddie’s bossy older sister, Sabi, is joint owner of the nursery, and she’s convinced that the best thing for both of them would be to sell up. Determined to keep the business going, Maddie can’t afford any distractions, but staying focused might be harder than she thinks when – after a major garden centre chain puts in an offer – her search for legal advice throws her into the path of attractive lawyer Ed…

As frost begins to fall over The Potting Shed, will Maddie find the strength to save her father’s legacy and open herself up to new beginnings?

***

If you fancy ordering either the paperback or ebook version of Frost Falls, then you can do so at all good retailers, including –

More news about The Potting Shed series coming soon!
Happy preordering, 
Jenny x

Cornish Romance for St Valentine’s Day?

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On February 14, 2022

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Jenny Kane, News, Romance

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Why not treat yourself, or a loved one, to a little Cornish romance? 

My first Cornish novel, A Cornish Escape, was never meant to be a romance. I hadn’t noticed, until after I’d written it, that within this tale of friendship and self discovery there lies an old fashioned love story. 

Newly widowed at barely thirty, Abi Carter is desperate to escape the Stepford Wives-style life that Luke, her late husband, had been so keen for her to live.

Abi decides to fulfil a lifelong dream. As a child on holiday in a Cornwall as a child she fell in love with a cottage – the prophetically named Abbey’s House. Now she is going to see if she can find the place again, relive the happy memories … maybe even buy a place of her own nearby?

On impulse Abi sets off to Cornwall, where a chance meeting in a village pub brings new friends Beth and Max into her life. Beth, like Abi, has a life-changing decision to make. Max, Beth’s best mate, is new to the village. He soon helps Abi track down the house of her dreams … but things aren’t quite that simple. There’s the complicated life Abi left behind, including her late husband’s brother, Simon – a man with more than friendship on his mind … Will Abi’s house remain a dream, or will the bricks and mortar become a reality?

If your loved one – or you – enjoys the Cornish countryside, a touch of romance, a story with twists and turns- and a cute Labrador…then this is the book for you! 

A Cornish Wedding also contains a love story- but this time it’s the older generation having all the fun!

Abi Carter has finally found happiness. Living in her perfect tin miner’s cottage, she has good friends and a gorgeous boyfriend, Max. Life is good. But all that’s about to change when a new neighbour moves in next door.

Cassandra Henley-Pinkerton represents everything Abi thought she’d escaped when she left London. Obnoxious and stuck-up, Cassandra hates living in Cornwall. Worst of all, it looks like she has her sights set on Max.

But Cassandra has problems of her own. Not only is her wealthy married lawyer putting off joining her in their Cornish love nest, but now someone seems intent on sabotaging her business.

Will Cassandra mellow enough to turn to Abi for help – or are they destined never to get along?

Complete with sun, sea and a gorgeous Cornwall setting, A Cornish Wedding is the PERFECT summer escape.

***

Buy Links-

A Cornish Escape is available as an ebook or paperback from all good retailers, including Waterstones and Amazon 

A Cornish Wedding is available as an ebook or paperback from all good retailers, including Waterstones and Amazon.

 

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

 

Opening Lines with Ashley Lister: Conversations with Dead Serial Killers

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On February 10, 2022

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, crime, Fiction, ghost story /gothic, Opening Lines Blog, thriller

I’m delighted to be welcoming Ashley Lister back to my blog today, to share the Opening Lines from his latest novel, Conversations with Dead Serial Killers. 

Over to you Ash…

Thank you to the awesome Jenny Kane for inviting me here today.  She genuinely remains one of my favourite writers and I feel honoured to call her a friend.  I hope she still feels the same about me after reading this blog post.

The idea for Conversations with Dead Serial Killers came to me as I was watching a TV show about psychics.  I’m neither a believer nor a disbeliever in the spirit world. I’m simply an idiot who gets drunk and is too lazy to shift away from the TV, regardless of what it’s playing.

So, there I was, watching this show with a person purporting to be a psychic, telling the viewers that they were being helped by a spirit guide and I thought, “What if that spirit guide was a dick? What if that spirit guide’s sole purpose in life (or should that be ‘in death’?) was to make things uncomfortable for the psychic they worked with?”

Whilst that’s ended up as one of the predominant themes in the story, I think it’s fair to say that Conversations with Dead Serial Killers has become something a little more than that.  I’ve tried to blend the tropes of true crime stories with a narrative about mediumship, some of the grisly and distasteful things you’d expect to find in horror stories, and a soupcon of my dark and twisted humour.

Blurb

“A clown can get away with murder.”
John Wayne Gacy, the killer clown.

Derek Turner makes his living as a psychic. But, when he makes his first genuine contact with the spirit world, it is an encounter that starts him on a pathway to holding conversations with dead serial killers.

FIRST 500 WORDS

The thing that few people appreciated about Ed Gein was his skill as a seamstress. Clive had sat through every episode of the Great British Sewing Bee and, whilst the finalists on that show invariably produced some nice-looking creations in the last episode of each series, and sometimes that was when they were working with awkward fabrics such as organza, pleated lace or chiffon, none of them had (yet) been challenged with creating something original from human skin. To Clive’s mind it was an injustice that everyone looked at Ed Gein’s work (the belt made from nipples, the lampshade made from Mary Hogan’s face, and the chairs, fully upholstered, in human skin) and all they saw was the Grand Guignol horror that came from murder, the desecration of graves, and the violation of corpses. No one appreciated the man for his craftsmanship and finesse with a needle and thread.

Clive sat back at his desk, surveying the screen that held his notes on Gein and wondering how close his latest book was to being ready for publication. There were hundreds of biographies covering Gein, describing him as the Plainfield Butcher, the Plainfield Ghoul and the Grandfather of Gore, and explaining how he had been the role model for fictional monsters such as Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Norman Bates in Robert Bloch’s Psycho, and even Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs.

Clive’s approach to the biography had been different. Rather than go on about the lawlessness and illegality of Gein’s actions with the usual ghoulish voyeurism concerning murder, grave-robbing and skin-removal, Clive wanted to celebrate the Ed Gein that the history books had overlooked. Gein was a hard-working labourer. Gein was a loving son who aspired to be just like his mother. And Gein was a diligent researcher who had studied subjects as diverse as the Nazis, cannibalism and, if his well-thumbed copy of Grey’s Anatomy was any indicator, human biology.

Not that Gein was the only subject of the biographies he had written. Clive had published one volume on the comforting bedside manner of Dr Harold Shipman foregrounding the under-reported benevolent side of the world’s most prolific serial killer.  He had also written about the forbidden romance between Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, and wanted to write about the passion that kept Fred and Rose West together.  Importantly, and it was a consistent theme throughout all of the books he was writing, Clive wanted to talk about the fact that some of these ‘notorious killers’ had managed to grow up to appear like unassuming and normal adults despite the trauma of abusive childhoods. He knew they’d grown up to appear unassuming and normal because neighbours, witnesses and others involved in testifying against these people, always described them as being ‘unassuming and normal.’

He supposed the project struck a personal chord for him because, if not for fate and circumstances, he figured he too could have been another name on the long list of serial killers who had…

***

Conversations with Dead Serial Killers is currently available for Pre-Order and will be released on Valentine’s Day, 2022.

Pre-Order link: http://mybook.to/cwdsk

To find out more about Ashley Lister you can check out his website: www.ashleylister.com, his FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.lister, and Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleylister.

Huge thanks Ashley, for sharing your Opening lines today – I’m still talking to you after reading that- although I have hidden my sewing kit… just to be on the safe side. (Remembers pin cushion is on the table and dashes off)

Happy reading everyone, 

Jenny xx

Welcome to The Potting Shed

By

On February 7, 2022

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Romance, The Potting Shed

About an hour after I’d put my pen down after finishing the edits on Winter Fires at Mill Grange, the final novel in the #MillGrange #series, I picked it up again and began to plan out the structure of the first novel in a brand new series, all based around a small gardening nursery – The Potting Shed.

Book 1, Frost Falls at The Potting Shed, will be out this coming autumn. 

I hope you love the cover as much as I do. The cover designer has worked incredibly hard to get everything about the appearance of The Potting Shed perfect.

Set in Devon – my home county for the last 16 years – The Potting Shed introduces us to the horticultural world of Maddie Willand and her family nursery. (I’m learning  A LOT about flowers and gardening as I write).

As frost begins to fall over The Potting Shed, will Maddie find the strength to both save her father’s legacy & open herself up to new beginnings?

I can say no more for know, but keep posted for preorder news!

Happy reading,

Jenny x

 

 

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