Wow! A third of the way through 2023 already. I can’t believe how quickly this year is passing. April has been a disappointment as far as the weather is concerned. More overcast days and rain punctuated with the occasional sunny day. I’m hoping we come out of this seemingly never-ending bout of greyness and emerge into wall to wall sunshine for a while. What are the chances, do you think?
April, of course, was publication day for my third and final book in the Cornish Coastal series. I had an amazing response on social media. Once again, thank you to everyone who liked, retweeted or posted a comment. It was very much appreciated, and it’s great to know there is so much support out there.
READING AND REVIEWING
This month I read seven books. Yes, I do try to limit myself to a sensible number but having said that, if I’m lucky enough to find titles I like which are well spaced through the month, it doesn’t seem a problem to add a couple more in. I’m quite a quick reader and so far on my 2023 Goodreads Challenge have completed 26 books. Below are those for April and I found two in particular were exceptional reads – Go As A River by Shelley Read, and The Enemy of Love by Annabelle
So that’s it for now. See you all next month. Take care, and enjoy your weekend.
There was a moment in time when I thought I would never reach this point. That this book would never make it beyond the draft stage. There were times, in fact, when I wanted to throw the towel in and admit the whole thing wasn’t working. However, us writer’s are made of sterner stuff and despite a good portion of 2022 being taken up with hospital tests followed by many weeks waiting for the results, I soldiered on. It wasn’t always easy. There were stops and starts but eventually I could see the end of the tunnel. And now, here we are, the book is out tomorrow in both e-book and paperback.
This is the final book of my Cornish coastal trilogy. It was never planned that way. Originally Shadows on the Water was supposed to be a one off. But as I wrote, I could see the potential for two more novels. A Kingswater Summer was published in 2021 and I began working on book 3 in late ’21/early ’22. The idea was to have this, the final book ready by early summer for publication in August. That, of course didn’t happen. It’s a spring publication in 2023 instead.
I’m happy that I’m leaving my three girls in a good place – Ava with her vineyard heir Alex, Kiera with TV hero Jake and finally Hayley with photographer Nick. They’ve all had to work hard for their happiness – yes I’m a hard mistress and certainly put them through a lot of difficult situations before they finally found their happy ever afters.
So what’s next? Not sure at the moment. I began writing commercially in 2009. My first book was too big to publish as one story, so I expanded it and it became a series of books instead. I have withdrawn all four of them from Amazon and intend to update each one, including new cover designs. The other option is to move on with a new project. So far I’ve located my books in West Somerset, South Devon, and both north and south Cornwall. Growing up in the West Country, I have always based my writing there, but strangely never in Wiltshire, where I spent most of my childhood. So there is another county, which I might consider. Before I make my decision, however, I’m concentrating on this final Cornish story. If you plan to download and read, or purchase a paperback, then I hope you enjoy it. And if you have time, please leave a review – a few lines will do.
BLURB:
After her father’s tragic death, abandoning thoughts of university, Hayley supported her mother with the day to day running of the Estuary House Hotel in Kingswater. Now, she is ready to return to her studies, but before that there’s a summer to enjoy.
When the luxury yacht, Odyssey, drops anchor in the Kingswater estuary, with Adam Davenport and his friends on board, Hayley has no idea about the impact they will have on her life. Spending time with Adam, she realises that despite having money and privilege he is very unhappy. Instinctively wanting to help him, she finds herself up against two huge barriers: his sinister friend Damian and Adam’s own capricious nature.
Nick Pallister is a young photographer staying at Estuary House while working on an assignment for the Cornish Tourist Board. On occasions Hayley ferries him upriver to find locations for wildlife shots. Kind, funny and easy on the eye, she is unaware of the danger as she gradually begins to fall under his spell.
When Nick unexpectedly checks out, taking steps to make sure he cannot be traced, Hayley comes to the painful conclusion she has merely been a summer fling. Days later, Adam takes a taxi into Truro and disappears. Despite an extensive police search, he is never found.
*****
Six years have passed, and Hayley is settled and happy with a small daughter, Amelie. Thoughts of that summer long gone. Nick Pallister’s unexpected arrival at the hotel both surprises and angers her. Determined to get some answers, she is unaware that he may have questions of his own; ones that could easily jeopardise the new life she has built for herself and her daughter.
Set on the south coast of Cornwall, The Secrets We Keep is a story of lost love, secrets and second chances.
Available in e-book at £1.99 (UK) and paperback on Amazon
Due for publication on 25th April, 2023.Currently available to pre-order on Amazon.Com and Amazon.Co.UK
Yes, I guess this is the most important news to come out of March. The third and final instalment of my Cornish Coastal Romance trilogy is finally ready to meet the outside world. Given the kind of health issues that have seen me yo-yoing in and out of hospital for clinic appointments during 2022, it became a bit of a battle to complete The Secrets We Keep. Yes, there were times when I felt like abandoning the whole project, but looking back at how far I had come, I knew I had to keep going, no matter how difficult that final stretch would prove. Thankfully I managed it and can happily confirm I have the all clear and am now looking forward to getting back to regular writing.
Not sure how everyone else feels, but for me the move into summertime with the clocks being put forward an hour is a time for celebration. We’re eventually pulling away from those dark evenings and hopefully can now look forward to brighter, lighter days. Not that the weather is currently playing ball. We’ve had a few really lovely spring days full of sunshine, but there are moments, like today, when winter’s keen to tell us it hasn’t yet left the building!
Next month is a double for me. Birthday and the first of our holidays. We’re returning to Wells Next the Sea on the Norfolk Coast. This will be our fourth trip to this lovely part of the UK. Friendly locals, big skies, sea air, long walks and fabulous food…what more could you want?
MY READ AND REVIEWS FOR MARCH 2023
This month has delivered a great selection of books. I have a quite broad taste when it comes to reading. Despite preferring psychological thrillers, I often opt for something completely different if I know it’s an author whose work I enjoy, or if the synopsis interests me. Four of this month’s choices proved exceptional –
The Last Party at Silverton Hall (a wonderful dual time line read) The Hidden Letters (Lorna Cook being a favourite author of mine, didn’t disappoint with this), The Loch (atmospheric and suspenseful) and The Night She Vanished by Wendy Dranfield, another author who I know always delivers an exceptional read.
So that’s it for now. Hopefully by the time I’m back with my April update, we’ll be in a better place with the weather, with many of us looking forward to our 2023 holidays.
JO LAMBERT 