I’m delighted to welcome Jennie Bohnet to the blog today. Jennie’s latest book The Little Kiosk by the Sea was published by Carina on 18th August 2015 and you can order a copy here: The Little Kiosk by the Sea
First of all, would you tell me a little about yourself?
First, thank you for inviting me. I’m English but I’ve lived in France for 16 years now. Five years ago we moved from the Riviera to a quirky little cottage in rural Brittany where we’ve acquired a menagerie of one collie dog, two cats, half a dozen chickens and three ducks. I’ve had a life long allergy to housework and gardening but when I’m not writing I love reading, cooking and having friends around for lunch – lunches that follow the French tradition of lasting for several hours.
What inspired you to start writing?
No idea! It’s something I always knew I wanted to do.
Tell me about your journey to publication?
It’s been a long one! I started off writing features and life style pieces – I even had my own newspaper column for three years when we lived in Devon. It’s since living in France that I’ve really got serious about writing fiction though, starting with short stories and serials.
In a nutshell, what is your latest book about?
The Little Kiosk By the Sea is about secrets and relationships – three women and the summer they’ll never forget. I’m thrilled to have received over one hundred positive reviews for it – never had that many reviews for a book before!
Do you have a work in progress just now?
I’ve just sent an idea and a few chapters to Carina for a novel set down on the Riviera with the provisional title ‘Millie’s French Cafe’. Very nervous waiting for their verdict to see if its worth working on!
What’s your favourite book you’ve read in the past year? Or favourite three if you really can’t choose!
Difficult! In no particular order I’ve read and enjoyed, Milly Johnson’s ‘Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Cafe’. Veronica Henry’s ‘High Tide’. Erica James’s ‘Summer at the Lake’. All books that make you keep turning the pages!
What are you reading just now? (February 2016)
I’ve just downloaded Marcia Willett’s ‘Summer on the River’. This is set in Dartmouth and I’m really looking forward to it.
Tell me about your reading habits: book or kindle, bed or bath, morning or evening?
During the day if I have time to read it’s my ipad every time but I mainly read in the evenings and in bed when its either a paperback or more usually my kindle. It’s difficult to source English language books here so I love my kindle for its quick downloads. I usually read about 3 books a week – wish I could write them as fast as I read them!
How can people follow you or connect with you on social media?
I love hearing from my readers. They can find me on Twitter @jenniewriter and I have an author page on FB http://goo.gl/5v03Pt
I also have a website: http://www.jenniferbohnet.com/index.html
And finally, if you could be a character in any book you have read, who would it be and why?
Daisy in Jill Mansell’s ‘Staying at Daisy’s’. It’s one of Jill’s earlier books (2008) and I’ve read it several times. She’s someone I would love to be friends with in real life.
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