Portobello Book Blog

There’s another lovely summery sounding book out today from ChocLit – A Summer to Remember at Herring Bay by Angela Britnell. I’m delighted to have Angela as a guest on publication day – hope you are having a wonderful day. Read on to hear what she had to say in response to my Author in the Spotlight questions. You’ll find buying options for various ebook platforms on the ChocLit website here: Herring Bay

First of all, would you tell my blog readers a little about yourself?

I grew up in a small village in Cornwall but although I left at eighteen to join the Royal Navy I still return frequently to visit family and friends. In 1982 I met my own tall, dark handsome stranger, the US Naval officer who was to become my husband, when we were both assigned to a NATO Headquarters in Denmark. After a whirlwind romance we married and continued our travels for the next thirteen years until he retired and took a job in Tennessee where he grew up. Along the way we were blessed with three wonderful sons who are now all married and have given us three beautiful grandchildren so far with a fourth on the way soon!

What inspired you to start writing?

I took a short creative writing class mainly to get six evenings away from my noisy young boys and never expected to discover a new passion in my life. My husband often jokes it was the best $40 I ever spent.

Tell me about your journey to publication

With my former writing teacher’s encouragement I turned a short story into a full length novel, of course it was dreadful but it convinced me that this was what I wanted to do. The second novel I completed was the first I sold and I can still remember my shock and surprise when the publisher called to offer me a contract.

In a nutshell, what is your latest book about?

When Essy Havers travels to Cornwall from her home in Nashville she hopes to find the secret behind her mother’s reticence to talk about her childhood in Herring Bay and why she left abruptly for America, never coming back again. Ruan Pascow is back home in Herring Bay after his life as an architect in London and he’s unsure of what direction to go in next. When Essy’s questions interweave with the secret behind his own father’s disappearance they come into conflict, a conflict made harder by their undeniable attraction to each other.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

I settled on the name Herring Bay for the fictional Cornish village in the story because I wanted it to hint that this isn’t one of the typically picturesque tourist spots. I originally titled the book One Summer in Herring Bay but along with my publisher we tweaked that to A Summer to Remember in Herring Bay.

How do you plan to celebrate publication day?

I suspect wine and chocolate will be involved, they usually are!

Do you have a work in progress just now?

I’ve just finished writing Mistletoe and Moonshine, a Christmas novella that revolves around a fictional moonshine distillery near Nashville. The research was so hard… J

What’s your favourite book you’ve read in the past few months? Or favourite three if you really can’t choose!

I love Bill Bryson’s witty travel writing and frequently laughed out loud when reading one of his older books The Road to Little Dribbling. I also soaked up two books Cornish set novels as slight recompense for cancelling our planned visit. A Perfect Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley captured the essence of modern Cornwall whereas Daniel’s Daughter, a wonderful historical romance by Victoria Cornwall was set in the china clay country where I grew up.

What are you reading just now?

A Perfect Lie by Claire Sheldon, it’s her debut book with Choc Lit and a gripping read.

How can people follow you or connect with you on social media?

www.facebook.com/angelabritnell

www.twitter.com/angelabritnell

I’m on Instagram as Angela Golley Britnell

Email – author@angelabritnellromance.com

And finally, if you could be a character in any book you have read, who would it be and why?

I’m going to choose Demelza in the Poldark novels by Winston Graham. She’s smart and witty but has an innate kindness about her and is the perfect mate for Ross – a fascinating man who is far more complex and mercurial than my other favourite hero Mr Darcy, and grows to increasingly appreciate his wife’s qualities as the series progresses. I completely deny thinking about Aidan Turner or the original Ross, Robin Ellis while answering this question.

[Hmmm, not sure I believe you but any excuse to post this lovely picture of Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson!]

From the back of the book

Essy Havers is good at finding things. Her company specialises in helping clients track down anything, from missing china pieces to rare vintage clothing. But now Essy has something more important to find: herself. Essy has always been curious about her mother’s secret past and her Cornish roots. So, when the opportunity arises, she hops on a plane in Tennessee and ends up in Herring Bay in Cornwall; the village where her mother grew up. But once there, she’s mystified by the reactions of the villagers when they realise who she is. Was Essy’s decision to visit Cornwall a mistake, or will it lead to a summer she’ll never forget?