Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash

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

Musically Mixed Up: Another Cup of Coffee 

By

On March 7, 2023

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

Every novel needs an initial pivot point – something that happens near the beginning of the story that catapults the characters into a certain direction or situation.

In Another Cup of Coffee that pivot point is an old-school music mixed tape.

Paperback cover

Blurb-

Thirteen years ago Amy Crane ran away from everyone and everything she knew, ending up in an unfamiliar city with no obvious past and no idea of her future. Now, though, that past has just arrived on her doorstep, in the shape of an old music cassette that Amy hasn’t seen since she was at university.

Digging out her long-neglected Walkman, Amy listens to the lyrics that soundtracked her student days. As long-buried memories are wrenched from the places in her mind where she’s kept them safely locked away for over a decade, Amy is suddenly tired of hiding.

It’s time to confront everything about her life. Time to find all the friends she left behind in England, when her heart got broken and the life she was building for herself was shattered. Time to make sense of all the feelings she’s been bottling up for all this time. And most of all, it’s time to discover why Jack has sent her tape back to her now, after all these years…

With her mantra, ‘New life, New job, New home’, playing on a continuous loop in her head, Amy gears herself up with yet another bucket-sized cup of coffee, as she goes forth to lay the ghost of first love to rest…

Jack, the male led within Another Cup of Coffee is, as so many of us are, rather hopeless when it comes to expressing how he feels about other people. So, rather than try and explain himself, and mess it up- which he often does- he falls back on song lyrics to help him out. This was a habit Jack first picked up when he was dating Amy, and she told him all about the blank tape (see blurb!), that her brother had given her to record all her musical memories when she was a student…Since that time, so many years ago, Jack has used the lyrics of others to explain himself over and over again…and not always successfully….

Extract

The power shower thundered, sending a searing-hot cascade of water down onto Jack’s head. Squeezing far too much shampoo into his hands, he began to viciously scrub his short hair. What the hell had he been thinking? Well, actually, he hadn’t been thinking, had he? He never looked beyond himself. The moment. The day. He was so stupid. So angry with himself.

Why the fuck had he posted that tape? And more immediately, where was he? And how soon was he going to able to get away from whoever it was he’d spent the night with? Jack could feel the familiar sensation of suffocation closing in on him as he abandoned his hair and began to furiously soap his torso.

And now Amy was coming here. It hadn’t crossed his mind that she’d even visit, let alone move her entire life back south. And not just south, but bloody London. Being back in touch, and hopefully forgiven, was one thing when she was safely tucked away in Scotland. But here. Face to face. Jack hadn’t banked on that at all.

He really didn’t want to see Rob today. It was his fault this had happened. Rob had come into work one day, back in the summer, going on about how worried he and Paul were for Amy. How she seemed to have placed herself completely off the emotional scale. The combination of bright sunshine, happy reminiscences, and the weight of a conversation he and Amy had never had, had brought his buried guilt racing to the surface.

Then, a few days later, Paul had visited Jack and Rob’s bookshop, passing through on one of his rare visits between his archaeological digs. He’d been sorting out some of his university mementos, and had come across a load of photographs.

They were all there, at university, more years ago than was acceptable if Jack was still going to pass himself off as thirty at the clubs he frequented. Amy, Rob and Paul huddled together in a muddy ditch, laughing. Rob, Paul and him, pints of Tiger lager in hand, outside their favourite pub. Paul, Amy and him, all cuddled together on Rob’s battered and suspiciously stained brown sofa. Amy and him. Amy and him together. Smiling. Together.

That had been the killer. That was the photo that had made him think. Her eyes had shone at the camera. If Jack was honest, so had his. So, in a state of happy but unrealistic nostalgia, he’d gone home, dragged a box of assorted junk out from under his bed, and pulled out the tape.

He had weighed the clear plastic box in his hand. It was time to explain. If Amy was half the girl he used to know then she’d forgive him. And suddenly, from nowhere, Jack had found that he really, really needed to be forgiven.

That was why he’d put Unfinished Sympathy on Amy’s tape. He wanted her to understand that he knew he’d hurt her. That he, himself, had been hurt by having to leave her. But for reasons he hadn’t totally understood at the time, he’d felt he had no choice. A fact which had led him to the record the unbearably twee, but wholly accurate, I Will Always Love You. It seemed to say how sorry he was. It said everything he’d wanted to say then, but couldn’t. He was sorry, really he was. But for Amy to turn up here! Bloody hell.

Stepping out of the shower, Jack began to dry himself with a suitably punishing rough brown towel. Now he was going to have to tell Rob he’d returned the tape, and have another go at talking to Kit.

He hadn’t deliberately failed to tell Kit about Amy. Specific conversations about individual exes had never come up. Jack was pretty sure that Rob hadn’t mentioned Amy to Kit either. Amy had been part of their old life, and Kit was part of their current one. Simple.

Jack knew he had to see Kit soon, before someone else filled her in. He wasn’t sure why he’d walked out on her now he came to think about it. At least she’d understand. Kit always understood. After all, they’d remained friends. Great friends. They had moved on smoothly.

‘Talk about my past catching me up,’ he muttered to his sleep-deprived reflection as he dragged a borrowed razor over his chin. ‘It’s pretty much tripped me up, into a pile of shit, and it’s entirely my fault. Bloody sentimental tape. Fuck!’….

Music has always played an important part in my writing life. I have different playlists to listen to depending on what style of writing I am creating. When I am ‘being’ Kay Jaybee and creating erotica, I listen to Depeche Mode (just as Kit, the erotica writer within Another Cup of Coffee does).

When I was writing Another Cup of Coffee, I listened to non-stop 80’s and 90’s music- just as I did when I was a student back in the 1990’s. And it is that very music (Alice Cooper, The Eurythmics, The Clash…) that inspired Jack’s lyrical feelings- and his myriad of excuses…

Ebook cover

If you want to find out how Jack manages to mess up even the simplest conversations with his overuse of lyrics, and discover if Amy sorts her life out, you can buy Another Cup of Coffee as an eBook or a paperback from all good retailers including – Amazon

***

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

Re-cornered

By

On March 2, 2023

In Blog, News

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have recently been working away from my usual writing spot – a corner of my local Costa  – so that the whole café can have much needed refit.

Over the last 10 days I’ve been hopping from local café to café, laptop at the ready to crack on with the latest work-in-progress. While it has been lovely to see some difference places, drink lots of coffee and sample the odd cake or two – I have to confess that I’ve missed my regular writing spot. Productively has been down, and while the words have come, they have not flowed as they normally would. Not for the first time, I have found myself marvelling at what creatures of habit human beings are.

When it comes down to it, my corner is just a desk and a chair in a busy place, where most people would find it too noisy or hectic to concentrate for more then ten minutes. Yet, for me, it’s my spot – my comfort zone. A place that has seen over a million words flow from my brain to my fingers, and onto the laptop screen – before (eventually) becoming a novel and reaching a bookshelf, or an audio script, and reaching my audiences ears via some amazing voices.

The act of actually getting up and going to work, rather than sitting at home and writing, makes  big difference to me.  It is – for me at least – the difference between my writing being a job rather than a hobby. Perhaps it would be different if I had a home with a study or a spare room to use as a place of work – but as that is not the case, then my corner is all the more priceless to me.

So – what’s the new look corner like?

Well – lighter!!! It’s so clean and fresh. I love it!

Not only do I have my desk and chair back, (My actual chair, not one of the new chairs that have been fitted to the shop as I’m an old dear now, and need back support!), but I’ve got shelves!!

The shelves are a new addition to the corner, and will hold copies of many of the books I’ve written here for customers to read on site while they drink their coffee, should they wish to. (Just don’t take them out of the shop!!) You’ll also find books by P J Reed – who also spends a lot of time writing in here – usually in the adjacent corner!

One thing that’s a bit different is the plaque. The ‘Jenny Kane’s Corner’ plaque was accidently damaged as it was taken down, and is now propped up against the wall. This is not a crisis by any means. It was always a source of some amazement to me that I had one at all! It was a gift from one of the cafe’s earliest mangers, Jules Burton (now overall manager of the area) – and a kind thought that I’ll always treasure.

I was lucky enough to be invited into the store just before opening today, so I could get settled into my corner, and take a behind the scenes part in the reopening. Very conscious of not wanting to get in the way, I took on the role of photographer, taking lots of snaps as the local mayor, Sue Griggs, officially opened the premises. And, more bizarrely, I was involved in helping one of the cafe’s longest serving baristas, Graham, get into this fabulous Costa cup outfit!

Once again, a massive thank you to the whole team at Tiverton Costa, (especially Jenny West), as well as Jules, Mark and the guys from Scoffs, who own the franchise that controls the store! (This café is not a national, but a local  franchisee store)

Not forgetting a thank you to every customer and staff member who has helped me out when I’m stuck with a plotline, read my books, come in to buy a book from me directly, nipped by for a drink and to have their book signed, or sat upstairs in the workroom to take part in one of my in-café workshops and – of course – my friends who pop by every now and then for a non-work coffee to keep my sanity in tact and my feet firmly on the ground.

Now however, I’d better get on. After all, book number 40 (the 25th to be written in my corner) won’t write itself!

Happy reading – and coffee drinking,

Jenny x

 

Happy 2nd Birthday to Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange

By

On February 28, 2023

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

Book three in the #MillGrange series is two years old this week!

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

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Cover Reveal: When Love Lasts by O.L. Obonna

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On February 20, 2023

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction

Today, I’m delighted to be featuring a cover reveal, for fellow writer, O.L. Obonna…

When Love Lasts by O.L. Obonna (@omoscorner) #romance #romancenovel #contemporaryromance #secondchanceromance

Book Blurb

Theirs was a marriage made in heaven, a marriage meant to last forever or so they thought.

A once-perfect marriage was thrown into a fragile state as a result of tiny whispers, and an unfortunate encounter causes the marriage to collapse. The once happy couple separate and a heartbroken Leilani returns home to London. And then out of the blue, Folarin’s family needs Leilani’s help and she must return to her ex-husband’s side. A series of unfortunate events have brought them together again and Folarin and Leilani must come to terms with the realisation, that somebody, somewhere was wrong. As they spend more time together, falling in love seems inevitable; even though one of them is promised to another, they must find a way to learn to trust and forgive each other in other to move on.
Will Folarin be able to trust Leilani?

Will Leilani be able to forget the pain of their first marriage?

Will they both believe in second chances?

Excerpt

Hello?” Leilani answered her phone after it had rung a couple of times.

“Hello, Leilani.”
Leilani froze. She would know that voice anywhere; it was

the voice of someone she would never forget. Folarin Balogun, her unforgiving ex-husband. It had been two years since she had last heard from him, two years since that fateful night when their marriage had ended abruptly. She almost dropped the phone in shock.

“How did you get my number?” she asked, slumping into her chair in the back office of her café.

Silence. Then Folarin Balogun responded quietly, “I got your number from Tega.”

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and waited for a couple of seconds. “What do you want, Folarin?” she asked in a very unfriendly tone. “You must have a reason for calling me.” Leilani knew that she sounded rude, but she didn’t care. She was in no mood to be polite to Folarin Balogun.

He had hurt her so much. Back then, she thought she would die from the pain he had caused her. It had taken her a long time to heal, and now she was ready to move on. Hearing his voice again brought back painful memories, memories she would rather leave in the past, where they belonged.

 

Author Biography

O.L OBONNA was born in Lagos, Nigeria. For as long as she can remember, she has always wanted to tell stories about love and romance by creating and immersing readers in the romantic adventures of fascinating characters. Her stories are a peek into her version of the excitement, allure, and mystery of the age-old sentimental narrative of love, which she so beautifully and intricately weaves together into a genuinely fascinating read. When she’s not surrounding herself with words or reading a romance novel, you can find her in the kitchen trying out new recipes or painting with her children.

She lives in London and is happily married with three children.

Website: www.omoscorner.com

Instagram: @omos_corner

Twitter: @omoscorner

 

Cover reveal organised by Writer Marketing Services.

Un-cornered

By

On February 19, 2023

In adventure, Blog

After many happy years of writing in my café corner, I am moving out for a couple of weeks while the decorators move in.

I’ve sat in that same café since it opened roughly 10 years ago.

To my surprise and honour, about 8 and a half years ago, I turned up one day – to do a book signing of Another Cup of Coffee – to find that a plaque had been put up on the wall over the desk I regularly occupy.

I’ve been looked after so well by all the staff in the café over the years – and I’d like to sat a big thank you to all of them – especially the current manager Jenny, who puts up with – not just me – but all the ‘useful stuff’ I keep in the storeroom upstairs, so I don’t have to carry my notebooks, cushions ( bad back) and coffee cups around with me all the time!

Since the plaque went up, Another Cup of Coffee has had three different cover changes, I’ve been lucky enough to get an agent, and won the Robin of Sherwood audio writing job as Jennifer Ash. I’ve set up Imagine Writing with Alison Knight, written 30 books, 21 scripts, and countless workshops – all at that desk – and the corner’s been redecorated a dark plum colour.

This photo shows my corner just before I packed up my bits and bobs, ready to make way for the decorators. I’m looking forward to seeing what colour walls I’ll be looking at when I get back to the corner in March.

In the meantime, I’ll be café hopping around the local area – writing as I go!

Have laptop, will travel!

Happy reading and writing,
Jenny x

Thanks Grandad(s)

By

On February 9, 2023

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

Anyone who has read my Mill Grange series, or my Cornish, ‘Abi Carter’ novels, will know that I have a fondness for writing older characters – especially older gentlemen.

To my lasting joy, both Stan in A Cornish Escape and A Cornish Wedding, and Bert from all four of the Mill Grange stories, (Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange, Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange, Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange and Winter Fires at Mill Grange), have proved extremely popular with my readers, In fact, nine times out of ten, if I ask a reading group who was their favourite character from my books is, they’ll either say Bert or Stan. (The second favourite is either Mabel – Bert’s wife – or Dylan from Mill Grange books 2-4.)

I have no doubt that the reason I enjoy creating male, pensioner aged, characters is that they are generally based – in some way – on one, or both, of my grandads.

My father’s dad, was a Cornish man born and bred. A butcher from Penzance, he was a small quiet man, with a large smile and a big heart. He had poor hearing and bright white hair – two features which were the result of him being in bomb disposal during the Second World War (a fact I didn’t know until his funeral). A bomb went off frighteningly close to him, and his hair turned white instantly!

He and my Nan, ran a guest house on Alma Place in Penzance. During the war, Nan took in evacuees. One of them, Leonard, never left. He became like an extra grandparent when I was very young. I recall sitting with him and his vast stamp collection for hours, while Nan boiled milk to death on the stove to make clotted cream, and Grandad sharpened his knives for work.

My mum’s dad was born in Cardiff, but his family moved to Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire when he was three years old. He was a grocers’ delivery boy before the war, but then went into the Royal Marines. He rarely spoke of his time in the war. All I know is that he carved his name into the toe of the Sphinx in Egypt ( I told him off for that act of vandalism!), that something happened which meant he didn’t like enclosed spaces, and that, if it wasn’t for the Salvation Army’s practical help during the war years, he and his best friend would not have survived. He never said why, but, despite not being a religious man, he always gave to the Salvation Army at Christmas – a tradition I keep up on his behalf.

A gentle giant, of a man, he married my Nan after the war, soon becoming a cobbler in her families business. (They owned Wainwright Shoes in Buckinghamshire.) Every time I go into a shoe menders, the aroma of leather and cobblers glue, takes me on a nostalgia trip back to the many times I’d sit with my grandad in his workshop, helping him polish and bag up shoes for the shop’s customers.

Every summer, I was lucky enough to spend time with both sets of grandparents. At the time I was so busy enjoying myself on the beach at Marazion or Sennen Cove – or watching the people come and go from St. Michael’s Mount through my grandad’s extra powerful war time binoculars – or helping in both their greenhouses – or walking Brandy, the Golden Labrador through the woods of Buckinghamshire while picking up sling shot left over from the civil war – or helping in the shoe shop, sorting paper bags and playing with laces – that I didn’t stop to think that one day, these amazing men wouldn’t be there to laugh with any more.

Nor did I imagine, that they would work their way quite so profoundly into my fiction.

Stan Abbey – in A Cornish Escape and A Cornish Wedding – is based more on my Cornish Grandad than my Buckinghamshire one. Although, Stan’s dog, Sadie, is very much based on Buckinghamshire Grandad’s dog, Brandy.

Bert Hastings – in the Mill Grange series – is based more on my Buckinghamshire Grandad. Bert shares some of his war time experiences, as well as his willingness to drop anything to help anyone. Also – Bert’s wife, Mabel (stalwart of the community), is a carbon copy of his wife, my wonderful Nan.

Even thought there isn’t a day goes by when I don’t miss my beloved grandparents, I’m extremely lucky to be able to capture their spirit in the characters I write. I think they’d approve – at least, I hope they would.

Happy reading,

Jenny x

FREE WEEKEND: The Winter Outlaw

By

On February 3, 2023

In adventure, crime, Historical fiction, history, Jennifer Ash, medieval, The Folville Chronicles

From Friday 3rd Feb until midnight on Sunday 5th Feb,

The Winter Outlaw,

Book Two of The Folville Chronicles,

is FREE on #Amazon#Kindle

Blurb

1329: It is the dead of winter. The notorious Folville brothers are on edge. There are rumours of an unknown outlaw terrorising the Leicestershire countryside—a man who has designs on the Folville family’s criminal connections.

Determined to stop this usurper in his tracks, Robert Folville unearths a man hiding in one of Ashby-Folville’s sheep shelters. A steward from far-off West Markham in Nottinghamshire, the cold, hungry Adam Calvin claims he knows nothing of any threat to the Folville family. He has troubles of his own, for he is being pursued by vengeful sheriff, Edmund de Cressy, for a crime he did not commit.

Mathilda of Twyford, newly betrothed to Robert de Folville, believes Adam’s story, but with rumours about a vendetta against the family growing, the Folville brothers are suspicious of every stranger.

After an attack on the household’s trusted housekeeper, it falls to Mathilda to work out who can be trusted and who can’t… With the Folvilles’ past about to trip them up, it’s going to take a level head and extreme bravery if Mathilda and Robert are ever going to make it to their Winter Solstice wedding.

The Winter Outlaw can be read as a standalone novel or as the sequel to The Outlaw’s Ransom.

Available for FREE from Amazon UK | Amazon US until Sunday night!

Here’s a few of the lovely things my readers have aid about The Winter Outlaw,

“Drew me right in and I couldn’t put it down. I was surprised how much bigger this book was compared to the previous one, big bonus. A captivating story that kept me on my toes until the very end.” Amazon

“So good. I await the third book.” Amazon 

‘Great read, looking forward to reading the sequel :-)’ Amazon

“Best work of historical fiction I’ve ever read” Goodreads

Happy bargain grabbing!!!

Jenny (a.k.a. Jennifer!)

The Outlaw’s Ransom: Medieval Crime

By

On January 31, 2023

In adventure, Fiction, Historical fiction, history, Jennifer Ash, medieval, The Folville Chronicles, Uncategorized

The Outlaw’s Ransom is the first in an exciting historical crime series, set in fourteenth century England.

Book One of The Folville Chronicles – Blurb

When potter’s daughter Mathilda is kidnapped by the notorious Folville brothers as punishment for her father’s debts, she fears for her life. Although of noble birth, the Folvilles are infamous throughout the county for using crime to rule their lands—and for using any means necessary to deliver their distinctive brand of ‘justice’.

Mathilda must prove her worth to the Folvilles in order to win her freedom. To do so, she must go against her instincts and, disguised as the betrothed of Robert de Folville, undertake a mission that will send her to Bakewell in Derbyshire, and the home of Nicholas Coterel, one of the most infamous men in England.

With her life in the hands of more than one dangerous brigand, Mathilda must win the trust of the Folville’s housekeeper, Sarah, and Robert Folville himself if she has any chance of survival.

Never have the teachings gleaned from the tales of Robyn Hode been so useful…

Available as an ebook or paperback from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Extract:

Mathilda thought she was used to the dark, but the night-time gloom of the small room she shared with her brothers at home was nothing like this. The sheer density of this darkness enveloped her, physically gliding over her clammy skin. It made her breathless, as if it was trying to squeeze the life from her.

As moisture oozed between her naked toes, she presumed that the suspiciously soft surface she crouched on was moss, which had grown to form a damp cushion on the stone floor. It was a theory backed up by the smell of mould and general filthiness which hung in the air.

Trying not to think about how long she was going to be left in this windowless cell, Mathilda stretched her arms out to either side, and bravely felt for the extent of the walls, hoping she wasn’t about to touch something other than cold stone. The child’s voice that lingered at the back of her mind, even though she was a woman of nineteen, was telling her – screaming at her – that there might be bodies in here, secured in rusted irons, abandoned and rotting. She battled the voice down. Thinking like that would do her no good at all. Her father had always congratulated his only daughter on her level-headedness, and now it was being so thoroughly put to the test, she was determined not to let him down.

Stretching her fingers into the blackness, Mathilda placed the tips of her fingers against the wall behind her. It was wet. Trickles of water had found a way in from somewhere, giving the walls the same slimy covering as the floor.

Continuing to trace the outline of the rough stone wall, Mathilda kept her feet exactly where they were. In seconds her fingertips came to a corner, and by twisting at the waist, she quickly managed to plot her prison from one side of the heavy wooden door to the other. The dungeon could be no more than five feet square, although it must be about six feet tall. Her own five-foot frame had stumbled down a step when she’d been pushed into the cell, and her head was at least a foot clear of the ceiling. The bleak eerie silence was eating away at Mathilda’s determination to be brave, and the cold brought her suppressed fear to the fore. Suddenly the shivering she had stoically ignored overtook her, and there was nothing she could do but let it invade her…

Here are just a few of the lovely reviews for Mathilda’s first story…

“Bought it last night and finished at 2am in the morning! I had already read “Romancing Robin Hood” and liked Mathilda, so I was curious what this book would be like. Many aspects of the story were already in the other book but this is a beautiful standalone and I didn’t mind rereading parts of the story. I’m glad this is a series by the looks of it and hope the next one will be out soon. I particularly like that the women are confident but still believable characters within the medieval background. No “Kardashians in costumes” but convincing dialogues and scene descriptions. Well done!” Amazon

“I first read this story when it appeared in a lesser form as a ‘story within a story’. (Romancing Robin Hood)
I have really enjoyed reading the expanded version – complete with historical references.
Mathilda is kidnapped by local highborn landowners/outlaws as a way of ensuring her family repay a loan. Too clever for her own good she soon realises that they wish to use her to pass messages to another family – who would ever think to question a young lady, but is very quickly embroiled in the murder of a local business man….A very cleverly written medieval who dunnit.” Goodreads

“An enjoyable read with credible characters and a pacey plot. Good scene setting, I felt like I was back in medieval times. Looking forward to the next book in the series.” Amazon

***

Happy reading,

Jennifer

Opening Lines: A Cornish Wedding

By

On January 26, 2023

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Jenny Kane, Opening Lines Blog, Romance

This week, I thought I’d share some on my own Opening Lines.

Here’s the beginning of A Cornish Wedding (previously published as Abi’ Neighbour)

Sequel to A Cornish Escape, this feel good romance returns you to the world of Abi, Max, Beth and Stan in sunny Sennen Cove.

Blurb

Perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Milly Johnson, A Cornish Wedding is the best kind of summer escape.

Abi has what she’s always dreamed of: her perfect Cornish cottage, great friends and a gorgeous boyfriend. But her idyll is shattered when a new neighbour moves in next door.

Rude and obnoxious, Cassandra doesn’t make a good first impression on Abi. But with the unexpected wedding of one of Abi’s friends to prepare for, Abi has bigger things to worry about.

However, avoiding her new neighbour proves harder than expected and Abi and Cassandra soon realise they might have more in common than they first thought. . .

But with the wedding only weeks away, can they set aside their differences before the big day?

FIRST 500 WORDS

Cassandra stared at the ‘For Sale’ sign in the front garden. A fresh slogan had been pasted proudly across it, proclaiming Another House Sold!

She frowned. The estate agents must have made a mistake. Justin had talked about renting the cottage, this poky little two-bed terrace in some Cornish backwater, but he’d never once suggested buying it.

Sitting on the low stone wall that ran in front of the row of cottages, with her back to the sold sign, she let out a string of vehemently whispered expletives. Resisting the temptation to throw a pebble at the seagulls which were squawking their hearts out on the roof behind her, she steadied her breathing, like she did when faced with a particularly demanding client.

Shrugging off her suit jacket in deference to the early summer sunshine that poured from a cloud-free sky, Cassandra tried to focus, but doubts continued to assail her. She hadn’t misunderstood Justin, had she?

They’d been laughing over the breakfast table at one of the most exclusive hotels in London when the subject of Cornwall had first come up. Making plans for their future life together, they’d celebrated in grand style the fact that Justin had, after six years of secret trysts and stolen nights together, decided to leave his wife; the dreadful Jacinta.

Excitedly they’d plotted and planned over plates of eggs Benedict and smoked salmon, raising their glasses of Buck’s Fizz to Justin’s promotion to senior partner at the law firm. A promotion which meant that, providing they merged their finances, Justin could afford to get a divorce without being catapulted into penury.

There was only one snag.

The legal company Justin now worked for, Family Values, prided itself on its moral integrity. There was no way he could risk a scandal after securing the promotion he’d coveted for so long. It would be bad enough when he explained to his colleagues that he was getting a divorce – suddenly producing a long-term mistress would be too much for them to accept in one go.

So Justin had asked Cassandra to move away for a while. He’d suggested they use this short diplomatic period of separation to their advantage, and rent a property to later sublet – at a vast profit – to exhausted executives seeking a spot of relaxation. Cassandra, who could run her own business from anywhere via the Internet, would go and make sure the property was up to date, arrange any decorating that was required, and then rejoin Justin in London once things had died down.

Thinking back, Cassandra realised she should have asked a lot more questions about exactly how much research Justin had already done into this move. But under the influence of the early-morning alcohol, not to mention the triumph she felt at having finally succeeded in persuading Justin to leave his wife, she had suppressed all her instincts and agreed to everything he’d said.

The untidy, clipboard-wielding woman started talking as soon as she climbed out of her Mini….

If you’d like to read A Cornish Wedding, you can buy it as a paperback or ebook from all good retailers, including

Universal link – mybook.to/CornishWedding

Happy reading everyone.

Jenny xx

COVER REVEAL: Misty Mornings at The Potting Shed

By

On January 16, 2023

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

Today I’m delighted to be able to share the gorgeous cover for the third book in #ThePottingShed #series!

Misty Mornings at The Potting Shed.

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Misty Mornings at The Potting Shed is to be published in October.

This, the third outing for Maddie, Ed, Jo, and the garden centre gang, follows on from Frost Falls at The Potting Shed (out now) and Bluebell Season at The Potting Shed (out in March).

You can pre-order both Bluebell Season and Misty Mornings from all good retailers.

I’ll have more information about this Devon based, feel good, series soon!

In the meantime, I’d better get on with writing it!

Happy pre-ordering and reading,

Jenny x

 

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