Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash

20 Questions

On January 23, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction

I was having a long overdue clean up of my laptop this morning and came across this interview I did as a guest blogger some time ago. I had such fun with it, that I thought I’d update it and share it afresh.

The questions come from a friend I asked to pretend she didn’t know me! Yes- I know that’s a little bit mad- but I’m a writer- insanity is only ever inches away!!

Do you just write as Jenny, or do you have multiple personas?

I currently have one other ‘me’ as well as Jenny, and that’s Kay Jaybee- an erotica writer of the ‘full on’ persuasion. (There may be another ‘me’ coming soon- I’ll say no more for now…)

who am i

Are you more like Kay or Jenny in real life?

Jenny- no question!

Do you love coffee as much as the characters in your first Jenny Kane novel, Another Cup of Coffee?

Even more than they do! I can’t write without a coffee close at hand, and I have to have one first thing in the morning or my day doesn’t go well!

How do you take it?

Black- nothing added- Americano for preference

How many cups do you drink a day?

Too many

Brazz Taunton

Do you really write in cafes and coffee shops like JK Rowling?

I really do. I even have my own corner in my local cafe- there’s a plaque on the wall to prove it! Not only that, but I am now employed by a brilliant group called Phoenix Somerset to visit Independent coffee shops and blog about my experiences there. Dream job!

What is your favourite hot drink – apart from coffee?

Coffee is the only hot drink I like- I HATE tea, and I’m allergic to milk, so can’t have hot chocolate, latte etc

Favourite colour?

Purple

Boots, trainers or heels?

Boots – I am not sporty, and I’d break my neck in heels. I am very clumsy!

Another Cup of Coffee - New cover 2015

Are the characters in Another Cup of Coffee based on real people?

Almost all of them are.

Which ones?

My lips are sealed.

Spoil sport- give us a clue?

I knew three of them at University- although I obviously wrote exaggerated versions of them- and they are all still my friends and totally lovely.

What did you study at University?

I did an Archaeology degree and then a Medieval History for a PhD.

Ohhh- like Amy in Another Cup of Coffee did…?

Yes- just like Amy did- well, the archaeology bit- I think I can guess the next question!

So are you Amy?

I am a little tiny bit, but only a little bit. I more like the character of Kit, who writes for a living (or tries to!)

You feature Kew Gardens in the book, have you been there, or did you just research in on Google?

I’ve been there many times. I love just wandering around the various greenhouses- and sitting in the cafes of course!

Kew

What would you say always surprises people when they meet you?

That I wear hearing aids. I am 80% deaf.

Do you prefer being Kay Jaybee- Queen of BDSM Kink- or Jenny Kane- Writer of book chocolate?

I love being both of them – it is wonderful to be able to create such different styles of work, and thus- hopefully- make more people happy when they read! (Well- that’s the plan!)

What is Jenny going to do next?

The final book in the 5 part Another Cup of Coffee series is due out this summer. Another Glass of Champagne is a full length novel which concludes the adventures of Amy, Kit, Jack, Megan and friends. I am about to start the publishers edits for this. I am also busily drafting the sequel to Abi’s House– which will be called Abi’s Neighbour.

Apart from the writing, I am helping to organise the second Tiverton Literary Festival, which will run from 8th-12th June.

What is Kay doing next?

Kay’s erotica is largely on hold for a while, as it is Jenny’s turn to tap away at my computer keyboard- except for on Wednesdays. On ‘Wicked Wednesday’ I write as Kay all day- I am currently writing a new novella- but my lips are sealed as it what it will be about!

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You can buy all the ‘Another Cup of…’ stories from all good retailers, including Amazon.

For example,you can buy the first in the series, Another Cup of Coffee here…

Amazon UK- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605533&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee

Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605667&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee+jenny+kane

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Happy reading,

Jenny x

Interview with Caroline Dunford

By Jenny Kane

On January 19, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction, Interview

It’s interview time! Today I have the lovely Caroline Dunford dropping by for coffee and cake. So why don’t you take five minutes out of your day and join us for a cuppa?

coffee and cake

Do you model any of your characters after people you know? If so, do these people see themselves in your characters?

One of the risks of admitting you’re a writer at parties is you are often immediately asked where do you get your ideas? If you answer truthfully, that you get your ideas from your life experience, and your questioner isn’t yet too full of party cheer, then more often than not your questioner will sidle off looking nervous and muttering about having left the cat in the fridge, or something equally unlikely. They are, of course, terrified you will ‘put them in a book.’ There are those who offer themselves up as excellent characters for books or who have the best ideas for a book, and these are the ones writers tend to sidle away from.

I would like to put on record that I cannot write other people’s ideas. If it doesn’t come from the murky depths of my own subconscious then it simply doesn’t work for me. Like any writer I use my experiences and they are exactly that; they are how I experience my world. There is no way I could ever possibly write about anyone else accurately. Even if I chose to base a character on someone I knew, it would be based on how I saw that person and almost certainly not how they saw themselves.

As a writer I make up inner thoughts and motivation for my characters, but I have no ability to scan the mind of anyone else and collect this information. It would be a lot easier (though possibly libellous!) if I did. This means even if I did base a character on someone I know I can pretty much guarantee they would never recognise themselves. But I don’t. All my characters come from my thoughts, feelings and imagination. When I am writing they become like voices in my head. Even sometimes adding events and speeches to the story that I certainly had not planned on writing. They become alive to me. I know them so well because they have come from me.

All this is a little embarrassing to admit. I do have some pretty awful characters in my books and they must reflect a dark part of my psyche. I can only console myself with the thought that I also have likable and estimable characters in my stories too. These, hopefully, form the most influential part of my psyche in everyday life. Though I suspect Euphemia, my murder mystery heroine, is far braver than me. We are definitely equally stubborn. I only hope I am not as naïve as she can sometimes be – a naivety that invariably leads her into danger.

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What type of research did you have to do for your book?

When I am writing a historical novel I research the period – the events, the clothing, the ideas of the era and everything else I can get my hands on. However, I am not an historian. My desire is to create a compelling story and I am more interested in building my characters – their loves, foibles, ideas, fears and ambitions – than anything else. For me the historical era is important because it not only frames these, but also informs them. I also need to know their world, in particular who the important people in their lives are and what they are like. It is often out of the interconnecting personalities that the stories take form.

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Which Point of View do you prefer to write in and why?

In the Euphema Martins Mysteries I use the first person. Euphemia has a unique voice that uses slightly more archaic speech and is invariably full of slips (and even innuendos) that she is unaware of. It is enormous fun as a writer to create these. While Euphemia is saying one thing, the reader is understanding another – and this is often where the humour lies.

Writing in the third person, that is setting yourself up as a narrator outside the story, has the advantage that you can move more easily between events. In the Euphemia books the reader only ever experiences what she experiences. The biggest problem in writing as a narrator is that it is harder to get your audience to emote – they are just that one step removed from the action.

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Do you prefer to plot your story or just go with the flow?

In a murder mystery I need to know who the murderer is and I also generally know the main turning points in the story. However, Euphemia and her friends are pretty well formed now after nine books, and they do have a tendency to hijack the plot. Of course, I only let them do this if I think they have come up with something more exciting than I have!

What is your writing regime?

There is only one thing you need to do to be a writer and that is write. It would be lovely to wait from the muse to spring into your mind, but in reality writing novels is a lot about plotting and planning, and agreeing with your editor what you are going to supply. Remember publicity for a book can be created before the book is finished! However, if the story is right then I find it will come alive at your fingertips. But this still means every morning sitting down at the laptop even when you would much rather be reading in bed. Sadly, I find my muse responds to coffee and perseverance rather than wishful thinking.

What excites you the most about your book?

Honestly? Finishing it! I love it when I have a complete story, fully edited and ready to go. I can feel proud of my hard work. No matter how much I love writing when I am creating a novel I am always terrified I won’t be able to complete it, so reaching the end is a huge relief. It’s sort of like sitting a very hard physics exam very time you write one. And I was never very good at physics. I have to work hard to get it right!

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Bio

Caroline has been creating stories since primary school when she first learnt that creating fictional games could gain her friends! She has held a variety of jobs, but most notably journalist, where she learnt the art of making deadlines, and psychotherapist, where she gained a valuable insight into the human condition. She lives by the sea with her supportive (and long suffering) partner and two sons, both of whom think writing a book is no big deal.

Links

Caroline is @verdandiweaves on twitter

Her facebook fan page is Caroline Dunford fanpage

All her books are available from Amazon uk at http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=caroline+dunford&sprefix=Caroline+dunf%2Cstripbooks%2C170

And amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=caroline+dunford&sprefix=caroline+dunf%2Caps%2C255

A Death for a Cause

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Cause-Euphemia-Martins-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B015ZM4A2Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452035955&sr=1-1

Coming May 2016 A Death by Arson

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Arson-Euphemia-Martins-Mysteries/dp/1783757159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452036026&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Death+by+arson+Caroline+dunford

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Highland Inheritance

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Highland-Inheritance-Caroline-Dunford-ebook/dp/B00M0FZMAG/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452036100&sr=1-15

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Playing for Love

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playing-Love-Caroline-Dunford-ebook/dp/B011OG0L3O/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452036100&sr=1-16

ALL OF THE ABOVE ALSO AVAILABLE DIRECT FROM

https://www.accentpress.co.uk/caroline-dunford

Young Adult Fantasy

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The Mapmaker’s Daughter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mapmakers-Daughter-Caroline-Dunford-ebook/dp/B00J5JE346/ref=sr_1_12?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1452036321&sr=1-12

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Many thanks for such a great interview Caroline,

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

My Writing Space

By Jenny Kane

On January 16, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Historical fiction

I love my writing space. Tucked away in the corner of one of the many coffee shops in the Devonshire town where I live, I sit at the same little wooden table every day, writing words of romance and friendship.

I’ve never been able to write well at home. There are just too many distractions, too much housework to do, too many boxes of work (I have a part time job as an educational blogger and data imputer which I do from home), and consequently too much guilt connected with what I ‘ought to be doing’ ready to interrupt my imagination.

Coffee good or evil

My writing has always flowed at its best in an atmosphere of bustle. I like to be surrounded by happily chattering people, enjoying a break from their ‘real’ lives, while I let my invented characters take control of my pen-wielding fingers. Sometimes, I admit, the café can get a bit too noisy. However, that is no problem at all. I simply lower the volume around me by taking out my hearing aids- being deaf sure does have its benefits sometimes!

I even have, thanks to the lovely staff within my ‘writing’ café, a brass plaque on the wall above my writing space, engraved with the words, Jenny Kane’s Corner.

Jenny's Corner Costa

How amazing is that?! So now I am officially the cafe’s writer in residence; and as I sit and write in my little space I feel rather like one of my all time favourite literary characters; Winnie-the-Pooh! For just like him, I have my own corner!

Every week day I am at my desk so early that I have no fear of anyone else being sat there. At the weekend however it is a different matter, and I have to take my chances. I don’t mind other people sitting at my table- after all, I don’t own it – and I am perfectly OK working at other tables- providing I have coffee to hand. Today- right now in fact- as I sit at a table next to my usual writing spot- my heart goes out to my poor little desk!

A group of rather unpleasant teenage girls are sat there, happily flicking hot chocolate everywhere, while putting on make up they don’t need to wear, listening to music that would make my ‘Kay’ persona blush, while making unsubtle gestures at a group of teenage boys at the opposite end of the café. (My heart goes out to them as well, because they look like a nice set of lads who just want a quiet catch up after a week at college)

Of course, the girls will get fed up and leave soon; I’ll get out the cafe’s disinfectant (I more or less live in here, so I know where all the cleaning stuff is), and my lovely writing space will be a happy sanctuary of words once more.

And there are three plus sides to their unpleasant use of my lovely space-

1. I have something to blog about today.

2. Next time I need to write about the more thoughtless members of our teenage population I’ll have a memory to use as story fodder!

3. It never hurts me t be reminded how lucky I am to have such a space in the first place (not to mention, how lucky I am to have such well behaved children!)

Always a silver lining!!

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Guest Post from Celia J Anderson: Moondancing Blog Tour

By Jenny Kane

On January 13, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction

Today Celia J Anderson returns to my blog as part of her latest blog tour. Why not grab a cuppa, put your feet up for five minutes, and read all about Celia’s new book, Moondancing.

Over to you Celia…

tourbutton_moondancing

You’re probably reading this on the day after Moondancing jumped out of Amazon’s shelves and became part of the real world. If yesterday felt like Christmas for it, today is its Boxing Day. This fourth book – and my first, initially disastrous attempt to be a writer – is the one that took the longest to write, and took in a whole load of worry, pain and also fun in the process. Life’s been something of a roller coaster for me over the last few years. The loss of both parents and my husband have been character-building, I guess (although with hindsight I might have chosen a smaller character and a bit less angst) but my new marriage gave me the nudge to get on with life and to get this book finished at last.

Moondancing_by_CeliaJ_Anderson-500

So, after many, many edits and rewrites, here it is. Initially called ‘Something for Molly’, then renamed ‘Start Again’, it’s now got its final title. Moondancing is a prequel to my earlier book, Little Boxes, and in it we see Molly in the earlier days of her marriage. Her much-loved children are a handful and she often finds herself wanting to shake her husband, Jake. I hope you enjoy the final product and if you haven’t already, have the chance to read Little Boxes to see what happens next!

Moondancing_by_CeliaJ_Anderson-FB_banner

Extract:

Driving along the narrow country lanes into town, Jake’s anger develops into a huge black cloud of self-pity. Why did Molly have to go off the rails on a school night when they’ve both got a hard day at work to get through?

He sighs heavily, feeling the snatched bowl of Weetabix beginning to churn in his stomach. Being a foreman at the brewery is a steady job, even if it’s not that exciting, but he needs to be alert to do it properly. It’s not his dream job – not even close – but it pays the mortgage. Last night’s broken sleep was as bad as the early days with teething babies. Jake doesn’t need this. He loves Molly and his four kids, his home, his allotment and his prize-winning leeks; in that order, usually. He likes to cook, if somebody else has done the shopping and if he can use his home-grown vegetables.

He looks after his pride and joy carefully – an ageing Range Rover, temperamental but solid. At weekends, he gives a hand with the cleaning, if he’s not at work or on the allotment. In all his thirty-nine years he’s never really wanted more than a quiet life. Is he demanding? Jake thinks not.

The September morning sunshine is breaking through the mist, but Jake’s mood darkens even more as he drives along the winding lanes to Hopton. The early rays warm the freshly-cut grass along the verge, the evocative smell bringing unwelcome memories of a time, years ago, when he lay in the wild meadow at the edge of the sports field, trying to persuade Molly to let him see her new bra.

‘Honestly, Moll, you can’t get pregnant just by taking off your PE shirt,’ he’d said hopefully. Molly’s aertex PE shirt was all that lay between Jake and the wonderful lace and wire construction that kept her chest in order, but there was no way she was letting him do more than stroke the bare skin of her back.

‘Look, it’s all right for you, no one calls you a slag if you let them feel your… you-know-whats…’

‘But I haven’t got any you-know-whats.’

‘Don’t be pedantic.’

‘How can I be pedantic, I don’t know what it means? Anyway, I only want to give them a bit of a rub – over your bra, not even under it.’ He’d shuddered at the wonderful thought of actually being allowed underneath a girl’s bra.

Jake sighs as a sharp pang of nostalgia for such simple times brings a lump to his throat. The radio plays Eva Cassidy – a heartbreaking song about leaving in autumn, leaves turning, and all manner of other sad stuff. Can the day get any worse?

Blurb:

Together since their teens, Molly and Jake have four children, a house in a sleepy village and jobs that bore them to distraction. Their marriage is an accident waiting to happen. When Nick arrives in Mayfield, young, disturbed and in desperate need of mother-love, Molly doesn’t realise that he will be the catalyst that blows everything apart. Add a headmaster whose wife doesn’t understand him and Molly’s unpredictable, frustrated best friend to the mix, and the blue touch paper has been well and truly lit.

Buy Links: http://celiajanderson.co.uk/books/moondancing/

celiaprofile

Author Bio:

Celia J Anderson teaches English in a small South Derbyshire town and dreams of living by the sea. Having her previous books published (Sweet Proposal, with Piatkus Entice and Little Boxes and Living the Dream with Tirgearr) has whetted her appetite for the author’s life, but at the moment she is juggling her love of junior drama and writing classes, reading thrillers and drinking too much wine/eating too much cake while she keeps on top of the marking pile. One day…

Website: http://celiajanderson.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CeliaJAndersonAuthor/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/celiaanderson1

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GIVEAWAY!

Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/celia-j-anderson-4/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Many thanks for stopping by on your tour Celia. Good luck with your new book.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

Another Cup of… The Dawn of a Series

By Jenny Kane

On January 11, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction

As I approach the publishers editing stage of the draft of Another Cup of Champagne– the fifth in the Another Cup of… series, I can’t help but look back on how it all began. I’ve had so much fun writing the adventures of Amy, Kit, Jack and their friends- but I honestly never thought I’d still be telling their stories five books later!

Although Another Cup of Coffee was the first book I wrote under the name Jenny Kane, it is actually my seventh novel. Without exception, all of my other works, be they long or short, have been formed from a single moment of inspiration- a flash point of certainty sparked from a conversation, location, or random thought, that has expanded and developed as I’ve penned the words.

Another Cup of Coffee however was a very different cup of tea! (If you’ll pardon the pun!). It’s dawn was thirteen years ago, shortly after the birth of my first child, and it started by accident. My youngest child never slept at night as a baby, nor did she feel inclined to eat much, so she was constantly awake, starving and grumpy (although she is totally lovely now!!), and as a sanity buster in the middle of the night I would lay on the sofa with her, and think back to all the wonderful times I’d had as a student when I worked as an archaeologist, all the fun I’d had with my university friends, I’d reminisce about how I met my husband, all the places we used to go, the music we used to listen to, the mistakes we made…and then, as the long nights wore on, I found I’d begun to think about the ‘what if’s’ in life.

It was these ‘what if’s’ that made me reach for a piece of paper- What if I hadn’t met my husband when I did? What if I’d met him years later in a totally different place? What if my first boyfriend had hurt me badly, rather than finishing things amicably? And what if he’d been my best friend ever since- as, in fact, he is- but with the past still an open wound between us, rather than just something we look back on fondly as a lovely adventure on the way to growing up? (I use the term ‘growing up’ very loosely!!) What if my heart had been so broken that I’d run away from all my friends and started a new life many miles away? What if…..?

I wrote all those thoughts down- and then did nothing with them. Then, when my second child was born, and the lack of sleep began again, I picked up that piece of paper, and gave the characters associated with this ‘what if-ness’ names- although not the names in the book now- the main character was called Jenny back then, rather than Amy as she is now…

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…

As you can see from the blurb, I took all those midnight mixed up memories, those sips of coffee from my life- a life which has involved one hell of a lot of caffeine- and weaved them into the story I first played with thirteen years ago!

Christmas at the Castle

It was been an amazing amount of fun to write a series of stories which run so close to my own life and yet, at the same time- are nothing like it…with maybe one exception. There is a character called Kit in Another Cup of Coffee– she is an erotica writer, she has two children, she is happily married, she never wears make up, can’t be bothered to worry about clothes, and she sits in a cafe all morning to write her stories, and she is the co-host of a literary festival!! Beyond that she isn’t like me at all…honest…

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You can buy Another Cup of Coffee as either a paperback from all good bookshops or an eBook from-

Amazon UK- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605533&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee

Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605667&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee+jenny+kane

It is also available on Kobo and Nook.

Another Glass of Champagne will be out this coming summer.

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Happy reading,

Jenny x

Special Announcement: Abi’s House is to have a sequel!

By Jenny Kane

On January 6, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction

It is with great pleasure- and several celebratory cups of coffee- that I can announce that Accent Press have commissioned me to write a sequel to my bestselling novel, Abi’s House!

Set in the beautiful Cornish village of Sennen in the Penwith Peninsula, Abi’s House tells the story of Abi Carter and her emotional and geographical journey from an unhappy life as a young widow in London, to a new life in search of her dream home in Cornwall.

Abi's House new cover

Thanks to all you wonderful readers, Abi’s House has proved so popular that a couple of months ago, a sequel was requested by my publisher. Since then I have been working out what sort of storyline I could weave next against the backdrop of Cornish sunshine, cream teas and fish and chips.

After much thought, and a chat with a local Abi’s House fan (thanks Jo), I developed a new plotline and the words were soon flowing.

It is with great excitement therefore, that I find myself already 50,000 words into the first draft of Abi’s Neighbour.

Obviously I don’t want to give too much away, but I can tell you that Abi Carter is about to get a brand new next door neighbour…and there is a very real worry she has bought the Stepford Wife style London City attitude that Abi had fought so hard to escape, along with her…

House for Abi- Sennen

And when will Abi’s Neighbour be ready and waiting for you to read? Well, I’m afraid it won’t be until Summer 2017!! However, I do have another coffee based novel almost ready to be released in June 2016…so watch this space for more news…

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

Sunshine Dreaming: Abi’s House is ONLY 99p

By Jenny Kane

On January 5, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Romance

With the weather wet, windy and cold, what could be better than escaping into a book of Cornish sunshine?

I’m delighted to say that my Cornish friendship and romance novel, Abi’s House is on special offer, at only 99p or 99c on Kindle!!

Sennen

Blurb

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?

Here are some of the lovely review’s Abi’s House has received…

“A summer read as scrumptious as its Cornish backdrop. Brilliant!”

“This novel is a box of delights…the perfect escapist read…”

“Better than a Cornish Cream Tea…”

“Reading a Jenny Kane book is like opening a journal by a much loved friend…”

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To pick up your copy Abi’s House at only 99p or 99c, visit these links

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abis-House-Jenny-Kane-ebook/dp/B00UVPPWO8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426711175&sr=1-1&keywords=Abi%27s+House+Jenny+Kane

http://www.amazon.com/Abis-House-Jenny-Kane-ebook/dp/B00UVPPWO8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426711253&sr=1-2&keywords=Abi%27s+House+Jenny+Kane

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

Happy New Year: A Quiet 2016? Ummm….

By Jenny Kane

On January 1, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction

Happy New Year 2016

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and that 2016 has kicked off for you in fine style.

Last night, as a sipped a delicious glass of Baileys- complete with Maltesers (it has to be tried!); I was seized with the sudden sensation that I hadn’t achieved very much in 2015. Somehow it seemed to arrive and disappear at such speed, that I hardly had time to catch breath, let alone write all the words I intended to.

No sooner had I shared this view with my husband, when I found myself on the receiving end of a look of total disbelief, followed by a brief lecture on the subject on the subject of ‘remember you are only human, there are only 24 hours a day, and you do occasionally have to eat and sleep!’

He has a point. I do have a habit of thinking that whatever I’ve done, however hard I’ve worked, it’s never enough. So, as Big Ben chimed, and the time for New Year Resolutions came, I said (recklessly perhaps) that I would try and be a little kinder to myself work wise this year. We will see…

2015 was, now I think about it, rather busy. The main event was certainly the release of my Cornish romance, Abi’s House. My bestselling novel to date, I have been touched by the number of kind reviews, personal messages of thanks, and encouragement from so many of my readers after it was published last summer.

Abi's House new cover

Of course Abi’s House was actually written in 2014, it was my forthcoming novel, Another Glass of Champagne which took up my writing time in the early part of 2015. The fifth and final instalment in my Another Cup of Coffee range, this full length novel will be out in the summer (probably June), and continues the story of the Pickwicks Coffee House crew, Amy, Jack, Kit, Phil, Megan, Peggy and Scott.

I’ve loved every minute of writing my ACOC series, and even though I still have the pre-publish edits to do, I’m already bracing myself for how much I’m going to miss writing about Peggy and the gang. Since Another Cup of Coffee came out, I’ve written a Pickwicks story every year since, including Christmas at the Castle, which came out last November.

Christmas at the Castle

So, now I think about it- in 2015 I wrote one novel (Another Glass of Champagne), edited another (Abi’s House), and wrote a novella (Christmas at the Castle). Then, of course, there was the publication of my children’s picture book, Ben’s Biscuit Tin Adventure, my adult books under the pen name of Kay Jaybee, and all the coffee blogs, guest blogs, reviews, articles and- not forgetting- my ‘real’ job.

Title Page

So perhaps I haven’t been quite as slack as I thought over the last 12 months!

So what of the next 12 months? What can I promise you in 2016 as well as Another Glass of Champagne?

You’ll have to wait and see…but I have been plotting the chapter plans for two new novels, a novella, and I have very exciting news to share on top of all that…

OK- it’s looking like I’m going to be breaking that New Year resolution fairly quickly!

Happy New Year!!

Jenny x

Guest Blog from Deborah Carr: Looking Forward to Welcoming 2016

By Jenny Kane

On December 29, 2015

In Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction

I’m delighted to welcome Deborah Carr, aka Georgina Troy, back to my site today to reflect on a truly non-stop 2015!

Over to you Deborah….

I write under my own name D M Carr (historicals for Green Shutter Books) and also a pseudonym Georgina Troy (my Jersey Scene Series for Accent Press). Writing is an addiction for me and one I can’t imagine ever wanting, or being able, to give up. It’s one activity that you can work hard at for years and still not achieve your ambitions, but it’s also something that you can completely lose yourself in, and seeing your books available to buy online, or in the shops is a joy I’ll never get used to.

D Carr

2015 has seen a few writing changes for me. Firstly, A Jersey Kiss (the first book in my Jersey Scene series) was a finalist in the Joan Hessayon Award for new writers and then I amicably parted ways with my fabulous agent, who represented me as Deborah Carr for three years.

Writing is an activity that rarely runs smoothly. Just when you think you’ve achieved something it doesn’t end up as you had expected it to. For example, my historical novel, Broken Faces beat 7,000 other entrants to be a runner-up in the Good Housekeeping Novel Writing Competition 2012, the book then received a Special Commendation from the Harry Bowling Prize, and then as if that wasn’t exciting enough, Luigi Bonomi, one of the judges of the Good Housekeeping competition asked to see the full manuscript and then offered to represent me. 2012 was an amazing year and I thought 2013 would be ‘my year’ – it was a good year but not in ways I’d expected. Luigi was wonderful and when Broken Faces almost, but not quite found a home with a publisher, I then wrote two psychological thrillers for him. Both were well received, but didn’t get taken up.

A Jersey Dreamboat

I then concentrated on my contemporary romances – The Jersey Scene series – which are based in Jersey but also Sorrento, South of France and Vietnam. This series is published by Accent Press with book 4, A Jersey Bombshell coming out next April. So, in 2013 I saw my first two books for sale online and in local book shops, then I signed a contract with Accent Press in 2014 for four books in the series and 2015 saw the third book in the series being published.

Still though, Broken Faces was languishing in the ether and having spent six years promoting other authors as deputy editor for Novelicious.com looking after the Alternative Thursday posts, interviews, reviews, etc, I decided I needed to step back and rethink my writing career. So Luigi and I parted ways, amicably, and for the time being I’m just reviewing and contributing for Novelicious – because they are the greatest team ever. This month my debut novel as D M Carr (me), Broken Faces, was published by Green Shutter Books. To finally see a book that’s so close to my heart finally published is a dream come true.

I’m excited to welcome 2016. I’ve already been contacted about three exciting events during the year, but none that I can share with you, just yet. All I know is that whatever happens I’ll keep on writing and loving it. Perseverance is the key when it comes to writing and I’m nothing if not persistent.

Happy 2016 everyone!

***

Amazon – Broken Faces: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-Faces-D-M-Carr-ebook/dp/B019G1FAE4/

Amazon – The Jersey Scene bundle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jersey-Scene-3-Book/dp/B0141KJJSS/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450620594&sr=1-7&keywords=georgina+troy