Tag: Cornish

Preorder News: A Cornish Wedding

On May 25, 2020

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

So, you might be thinking that I don’t have anything new out for ages- and then it’s a book announcement every five minutes!

To some extent, you’d be right. After 18 months of concentrating on my medieval crime novels as Jennifer Ash – as well as writing the new Mill Grange series – it’s wonderful to be able to launch some romcoms as Jenny Kane again.

Today I’m delighted to announce the pre-order links to A Cornish Wedding (previously known as Abi’s Neighbour – the sequel to the recently launched, A Cornish Escape (previously known as Abi’s House).

Available from 2nd July 2020

Here’s the 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?

***

If you enjoyed your trip to the Penwith region of Cornwall with Abi, Max, Beth and Stan in A Cornish Escape– why not join them again as they meet a few new faces?

If you haven’t read A Cornish Escape, you can still enjoy A Cornish Wedding as a standalone read.

You can pre-order your Kindle or paperback here- mybook.to/CornishWedding

***

Happy reading everyone,

Stay safe.

Jenny x

Why Cornwall?

By Jenny Kane

On May 16, 2020

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

A few years ago I was asked by Romance Matter’s magazine to write an article about what is it about Britain’s most south westerly county that draws so many creative souls to try and capture its flavour on paper? With the recent publication of A Cornish Escape (previously Abi’s House), I find myself considering that question once again.

Is it the natural geography and geology, the bark-like squawk of the seagulls, the sea, the sand, the salty air, or the aroma of vinegar soaked fish and chips with a promise of an ice cream made from clotted cream to follow?

The sheer majesty of Cornwall, from the haunting spectacle of Tintagel to the crashing of waves against the Battery Rocks in Penzance, alongside the quiet beauty of its villages and narrow country lanes, have conjured and bewitched the imagination of poets, novelists, artists, and potters since mankind first decided that cave walls would look much nicer with pretty pictures on them.

For me however, it wasn’t the scenery which drew me to place the adventures of Abi Carter in Cornwall; it was nostalgia. A nostalgia which I’ve come to learn also applies to a large number of my readers; many of whom have been kind enough to tell me that my stories have transported them back to Cornish childhood holidays.

A Cornish Escape (previously Abi’s House) and its soon to be released sequel, A Cornish Wedding (previously Abi’s Neighbour), are set in the Penwith region of Cornwall. Particularly, the picturesque settlements of Sennen, Sennen Cove, St Just and St Buryan, as well as Penzance.

A Cornish Escape

This very specific area of Cornwall is awash with memories for me. Memories I’ve adapted to form the background of two romance novels.

My Dad was born in Penzance and brought up in a terrace house on Alma Place. His mother, my Nan, ran a lodging house there, taking evacuees in during the Second World War- one of whom never left and became a sort of Great Uncle. My Grandad was a butcher at the long forgotten International Supermarket on St Jews Street; I still can’t conceive how he could cut joints of meat so finely!

Every school summer holiday was spent taking the lifetime long, motorway free, drive from Wiltshire to Penzance. My brother and I would spend weeks building sandcastles on Marazion beach. We’d try and skim pebbles across the surface of the sea (a skill I never mastered), and we’d squint through a pair of my Grandad’s ancient binoculars from the house’s attic bedroom window, straight across the sea and into the windows of St Michael’s Mount.

Each morning we’d wake to the sound of the Scillonian passenger ferry as she made her way from Penzance to the Isles of Sicily. Each evening we’d head to bed with that stretched face feeling that only comes from prolonged exposure to sea air.

I clearly recall the excitement of queuing up outside the fudge shop on St Jews Street in Penzance, desperately trying to make the impossible decision about which flavour of fudge to buy with my pocket money. I remember wondering why the pavements in the centre of Penzance are so high, and sitting with my parents outside various coffee shops along the front; fast melting ice creams dripping all over our hands.

It is this side of Cornwall, the minor events which add up to a feeling of happy security and contentment, that are as important in my novels as the seaside setting and the ready availability of a really good cream tea.

Abi Carter is on a mission to break away from a suffocating and unhappy life on the edge of London. I wanted to relocate her to a place she’d loved as a child. Somewhere that felt friendly and safe before she’d even got there.

While I was thinking about where I could send Abi, I remembered a house I’d seen in Sennen when I was about eight years old. It was an end terrace, halfway up a hill, overlooking the cove. I don’t know if the house has a name, but as soon as the memory came back to me, I called it Abbey’s House; a place destined to become the focus of Abi Carter’s story.

The scene was set. It was time for children’s illustrator, Abi Carter, to go in search of the stone built ex-miners house that, when she was eight years old, her parent’s joked should be hers because she was called Abi.

A Cornish Wedding

Now in her twenties, newly widowed Abi is on her way to Sennen to make friends and start her new life. She is also providing me with a way of sending a literary thank you postcard to the county that forms the basis of my own childhood memories, as well as a memorial to my Grandparents, who formed part of the Penzance community for so many years.

You can buy A Cornish Escape from all good book retailers, including – https://tinyurl.com/ybzmd75k

A Cornish Wedding will be launched on 2nd July.

Happy reading – and stay safe.

Jenny x

Coming Soon: A Cornish Escape

By Jenny Kane

On May 1, 2020

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

It’s only 6 days until A Cornish Escape hits the bookshelves (and eBook devices)!

Previously known as Abi’s House, this feel good novel is very close to my heart.

Most of my childhood summer’s were spent in Penwith area of Cornwall; staying in Penzance with my grandparents, while exploring, Sennon, Marizion, Land’s End and beyond.

Perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan, Phillipa Ashley and Cathy Bramley, this summer romance is sure to warm your heart.

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?(Previously published as Abi’s House)

There is something particularly stunning about the Cornish landscape, whether it’s the breathtaking coastline, or the villages, or the land in between. It is not suprising therefore, that so many books are set in the region, whether they be coffee shop romances or atmospheric thrillers.

A Cornish Escape is a feel good novel, full of friendship and fun – but there are still obstacles to overcome before Abi Carter can feel truly at home in the county.

So why not escape with Abi Carter into the beautiful Penwith corner of Cornwall? Let the sea breeze calm you, the fish and chips sustain you, and the adventure unfold.

Available as a paperback or in eBook format, you can pre-order your copy of The Cornish Escape from all good book retailers, including

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

***

Don’t miss any of the stops on my blog tour, starting on 8th May.

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

Opening Lines from Kitty Wilson: The Cornish Village School

By Jenny Kane

On July 11, 2019

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

It’s Thursday! That means it’s time for some ‘Opening Lines.’ This week Kitty Wilson is providing a dose of Cornish sunshine at

The Cornish Village School

Thank you, Jenny, for welcoming me to your blog. I wanted to share the first five hundred words of the first book in my Cornish Village School series, Breaking the Rules – because why not start at the start?

The Cornish Village School is a series of light-hearted romantic comedies based around a small primary school in the fictional coastal village of Penmenna. The first book, as featured here, tells the story of Rosy Winter, the headteacher who is faced with a fight to save her school from closure at the same time as she is trying to avoid her new twinkly-eyed neighbour, Matt. I do hope you enjoy it!

***

Blurb – Rosy Winter is definitely not looking for love

Following heartbreak, Rosy has rebuilt her life in the beautiful Cornish village of Penmenna. Now, headmistress of the local school, she is living by The Rule: no dating anyone in the village. Easy right? But Rosy Winter has a new neighbour, handsome gardener Matt.

In Penmenna for his new gardening TV show, this guy next door will do everything he can to persuade her to break her rule and win her heart. Meanwhile, Penmenna Village School is threatened with closure and it’s up to Rosy to rally the local community to #SaveOurSchool. Can she bring her worlds together and accept help from the most unlikely of sources? One thing’s for sure… she won’t be giving up without a fight.

This heartwarming romance is perfect for fans of Tilly Tennant, Holly Martin and A. L. Michael.

First 500 words…

Rosy jumped into her car and sped through the village as quickly as she could without knocking over small children, trying to maintain as professional a look as possible in case she was seen. Headteachers were not allowed to scowl in public, and vehicular manslaughter was obviously a no-no. She whizzed past the last stragglers from school and the thirteenth-century church on the corner, its Grade One listing and historical importance ignored by the teenagers getting off the secondary school bus and sneaking into the graveyard to have one last cigarette before reaching home.

The rows of cottages all jumbled together and daubed with the pastel colours of sage green, baby pink and ice-cream yellow – colours of Cornwall in the summer – receded into the distance as she passed the central hub of the village. The local shop, recently revamped, was now a pale slate grey and stocked with halloumi, hummus and miso paste, a nod to the gentrification of the village as Cornwall had become fashionable again and property prices had shot through the roof. It was at complete odds with its tatty neighbour, the butcher’s, which hadn’t been repainted since the nineties and had a window chock-full of community posters, yellowing and curled at the edges, inviting residents to events long since passed.

She careered past the pub and then the beach, heaving in the summer months but empty at this time of year, and the ice-cream shop, boarded up until Easter when hordes of barefooted families would suddenly appear, snaking all the way back to the sands.

Nearly home and with minutes to spare, she just had to get past the final row of fishermen’s cottages and she could pull up in her driveway and grab the one book she had forgotten this morning.

Her cottage came into sight, the late winter sun bouncing off the granite, lending warmth and making the quartz deep in the stone sparkle. The exposed walls were different from many homes in the village, most of which were prettily painted and as fresh as gin and tonic as the sun sets. Rosy’s cottage was more of a well-loved local ale, one with bits bobbing in it. Its neighbour was the same, both boldly joined together in their rebellion.

As she turned into her drive, Rosy caught sight of the higgledy-piggledyness of the roof, all uneven tiling and indents, and the stunted, windblown cherry tree in the front that exuded character and never, ever failed to make her smile. She had spent many hours wondering how the tree had become windblown, protected as it was by walls all around the front garden. There was just a little space that had been taken out to make way for a drive, and a small gate embedded in the front with its promise of a secret garden.

For her the cottage summed up Cornwall; sometimes wild and grim and grey but, in the right light, welcoming, quirky and warm. The cottage seemed honest, somehow, more in keeping…

Buy links –

Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2sltOLD

Kobo UK http://bit.ly/2JDkzOm

iBooks https://apple.co/2sRcf7u

GooglePlay http://bit.ly/2uehjDh

Bio – Kitty Wilson lived in Cornwall for twenty-five years having been dragged there, against her will, as a stroppy teen. She is now remarkably grateful to her parents for their foresight and wisdom – and that her own children aren’t as hideous. Recently she has moved to Bristol, but only for love and on the understanding that she and her partner will be returning to Cornwall to live very soon. She spends most of her time welded to the keyboard, dreaming of the beach or bombing back down the motorway for a quick visit! She has a penchant for very loud music, equally loud dresses and romantic heroines who speak their mind.

Social media –

https://www.facebook.com/kitty.wilson.1610

https://twitter.com/KittyWilson23

***

Many thanks for a great set of opening lines Kitty.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

A VERY BOOKISH CHRISTMAS

By Jenny Kane

On December 23, 2018

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

I just wanted to pause from the merriment to wish you…

A VERY BOOKISH CHRISTMAS!

Many many thanks for all your support over the last year.

I hope you are all having a truly peaceful and huggled Christmas, with extra coffee and a mince pie or three.

I will be back with you on 27th December, with another brilliant opening lines blog from Linda Huber.

Much love,

Jenny xx

A VERY COFFEE CHRISTMAS

By Jenny Kane

On December 24, 2017

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

I just wanted to pause from the merriment to wish you…

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Many many thanks for all your support over the last year.

I hope you are all having a truly peaceful and huggled Christmas, with extra coffee and a mince pie or three.

I will be back with you on 31st December, with another brilliant blog from Nell Peters.

Much love,

Jenny xx

Blog Tour Round Up: Abi’s Neighbour

By Jenny Kane

On May 14, 2017

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

This past week I’ve been on tour with my brand new Cornish romance- Abi’s Neighbour.

I’ve been honoured to have been invited to some amazing blog sites to talk about my work, my life, and the inspiration behind the second Abi Carter adventure.

If you missed any of the stops on my tour, now is your chance to catch up on them all!

My first stop was with Linda Hill at Linda’s Book Bag – https://lindasbookbag.com/2017/05/08/a-split-personality-in-cornwall-a-guest-post-by-jenny-kane-author-of-abis-neighbour/

My second stop was with Pam O’Shea at Vintage Treasures – https://pamlecky.com/2017/05/09/jenny-kane-blog-tour/

My third stop was with Lynne Shelby – https://www.lynneshelby.com/single-post/2017/05/10/Abis-Neighbour-Blog-Tour-With-Love-to-my-Grandparents—Jenny-Kane

My fourth stop was with Marie Lavel – http://marielaval.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/abis-neighbour-by-jenny-kane.html?spref=fb

My fifth stop was with Rachel’s Random Reads – http://rachelsrandomreads.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/guest-post-postcard-to-penwith-by-jenny.html

My sixth stop was with Kerry Parsons at Chat About Books – https://chataboutbooks.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/abis-neighbour-blogtour-jennykaneauthor-accentpress-authorinterview/

Huge thanks to all of my lovely hosts, and to you my lovely readers. Without readers theyd be no writers.

I’d also like to give an extra big thank you to the lovely Rachel at Rachel’s Random Reads who has just given the first book in the Abi Carter series – Abi’s House – a fantastic review – you can catch all of it here- https://rachelsrandomreads.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/book-review-abis-house-by-jenny-kane.html

Here’s a little snippet-

“…This is the first book I have read by Jenny Kane, and I found myself really enjoying her writing style, which is easy to follow, and the story flowed really well. I loved her characters, and even the Cornish burr for Stan I could really hear in my head. In fact Stan was one of my favourite characters, although in theory he could be seen as a naive old man, he really is a gentleman, and he adds a lot of local colour to the story…”

***

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

Pre-order news: Abi’s Neighbour

By Jenny Kane

On February 17, 2017

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

Exciting news today for anyone who has been waiting for me to hurry up and write the sequel to my Cornish romance, Abi’s House!

Abi’s Neighbour will be out on 4th May!!

Check out this wonderfully summery cover!

Here’s the Blurb!

Abi Carter has finally found happiness in beautiful Cornwall, with her old tin miner’s cottage proving the perfect home. 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. She’s obnoxious, stuck-up, and hates living in Cornwall. Worst of all, she seems to have designs on Abi’s boyfriend Max…But Cassandra has her own problems. Her wealthy lawyer lover has promised to leave his wife and join her in their Cornish love nest – but something always comes up. Now, not only is Cassandra stuck on her own, miles away from her city lifestyle, but someone seems intent on sabotaging her successful business. Will she mellow enough to turn to Abi for help – or are the two just destined not to get along?

Complete with sun, sea and adorable Labrador Sadie, Abi’s Neighbour is the fantastic new novel by bestselling author Jenny Kane.

***

You can already pre-order your copy of the paperback from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Abis-Neighbour-Jenny-Kane/dp/178615028X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487006698&sr=1-1&keywords=abi%27s+neighbour

https://www.amazon.com/Abis-Neighbour-Jenny-Kane/dp/178615028X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487006868&sr=1-1&keywords=Abi%27s+Neighbour+by+Jenny+Kane

E-Book pre-orders can be made here –

http://amzn.to/2ldVFtd

***

Although Abi’s Neighbour is a sequel, you can read it as a standalone book – however, it’s more fun to read Abi’s House first!! Links can be found here.

Happy pre-ordering!

Jenny xx

Coming VERY Soon: Abi’s House

By Jenny Kane

On June 10, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, News

It seems so long ago since I first put pen to paper, and drafted the initial outline for my new novel, Abi’s House. Yet, at the same time, it feels as if no time at all has passed, and suddenly here we are, with only days to go until my Cornish adventure of life, friendship, love and hope is launched onto the e-selves and bookshop shelves of the nation!!

Here’s the 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 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?

****

I’ve been extremely lucky to have already received some great 5 star pre-release reviews for Abi’s House–

Pre-release reviews

“When Abi is suddenly widowed at 30 years old she realises that she has become a shell – modelled into the wife her dead husband wanted her to be and not the person she wants to be.

Feeling suffocated in Surrey by the ‘lifestyle’ and her In Laws Abi up sticks and heads to Cornwall to find Abbey House – a place her family found years before whilst on holiday. Once in Sennan Abi quickly makes new friends and soon realises she has found the one place she wants to call home.

Jenny’s style of writing is wonderful. You can feel the sand in your toes, the gentle waves lapping at your feet, the sun and the wind and smell the Fish and Chips! It was whilst reading this book that I realised I really missed a good old fashioned pub garden – we just don’t have them where I live. Jenny’s stories always draw me in, I get so engrossed in and involved with the characters. It’s like you are there. I want to live in a Jenny Kane book!

It is over a week since I read the book and I just loved it so much…I feel like I have lost some friends since I finished reading it….”

***

“Reading a Jenny Kane book is like opening a journal by a much loved friend. I’m spirited away into a world of warm, friendly and interesting people. To places that I not only want to visit but actually live in. Shops, cafés and pubs that I want to be my locals and life that I want to experience and be a part of. Abi’s House gives you all of these feelings and left me with a huge smile on my face and a glowing in my heart. More of this wonderfulness please!!”

***

So why not escape with Abi Carter into the beautiful Penwith corner of Cornwall? Let the sea breeze calm you, the fish and chips sustain you, and the adventure unfold…