It’s finally the end of the week and hopefully the end of the Big Freeze! Today I am joined by Evonne to tallk a little bit about her new book Summer in San Remo and to learn a little bit more about Evonne
Can you tell us a little about you?
I live in the UK, on the coast of South Wales. I write romantic suspense and I have also now begun what I hope will be a series of romantic comedies, loosely based around a detective agency, and involving my characters in adventures in glamorous locations on the French and the Italian Riviera, which I am calling Riviera Rogues. I was twice a finalist in the American Title contest, and my debut romantic suspense won the award for best first book of the year from the Romantic Novelists’ Association here in the UK. As well as writing I’m studying for a doctorate in history, which takes up quite a lot of my time.
Can you tell us a little bit about Summer in San Remo?
Summer in San Remo is a contemporary rom- com with a light dusting of crime. The heroine, Cassie, runs a concierge service in the beautiful UK city of Bath. A mysterious new client gives her an unusual commission. She needs help to carry it out and unfortunately the only help available seems to be Jake, a very ex boyfriend, who has just come back from New York to take over his family’s detective agency. A chase after some stolen money, and a quest to uncover the identity of the mysterious client, takes them to the Riviera. And, of course, Cassie has to resist her renewed attraction to Jake …
Can you tell us about the characters in this book?
The book is basically a two hander. Cassie is an independent, self-made business woman who earns her living helping other people organise their lives. When it comes to her own though, things don’t go quite as smoothly. Jake is very rich, very good looking and, as far as Cassie is concerned, very annoying. She does not want to work with him and she certainly doesn’t want to fall for him again. But fate has other ideas …
Who is your favourite?
I wouldn’t say favourite, as I love them both equally, but I did have a lot of fun writing Jake. My publisher requires their stories to be written from the point of view of both hero and heroine and I like the challenge of getting inside the hero’s head. Jake is very confident and sure of himself, and filthy rich, so is used to pretty much getting his own way in everything. I had a great time helping Cassie throw spanners in the works. Getting Jake totally confused and on the back foot was a joy. He really didn’t understand what falling in love felt like.
What is your favourite place to write?
I write anywhere and everywhere. I do my first draft in longhand so the manuscript can go wherever I go, without benefit of technology. I write a lot in trains – that might be my favourite place, because as well as the time to concentrate, it usually means that I am going somewhere interesting at the end of the line.
What is your favourite place to read?
Again, I’ll read anywhere. I get depressed if I do not have a book in progress. I do have a fantasy of a window seat, piled high with cushions, with a wonderful view of a garden, or maybe of the sea, and a log fire burning in the background, which I expect is shared by quite a few people. I haven’t managed to create it yet – but I haven’t given up hope.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I’m very involved in research for my academic studies and enjoy that. Not everyone would want to be poking around in tattered, dusty files, but I love the glimpse of other lives. I also like to walk on the beach, go to the cinema, the theatre and concerts and visit art galleries, shopping, cooking, eating, gardening, sleeping …
Chocolate or sweets?
Definitely chocolate. Chocolate and a good book – what more do you need?
You have a free flight and accommodation to anywhere in the world where would you go?
Italy – one of those tours (preferably by train) that goes from the top to toe – Florence, Venice, Rome and then south to Naples and Sorrento. If I could tag on a cruise around the Greek islands, I would be a very happy bunny.
What is your favourite season?
Spring. The weather getting warmer, flowers starting to bloom in the garden, more daylight – and the prospect of summer still to come.
You have a day off – no children/work/responsibilities…what do you do?
Assuming I am not going to spend it writing or cleaning the house, in the winter I would probably get up late, have a leisurely breakfast and spend the day pottering around and reading, with perhaps a walk on the beach. In the summer I’d hop on a train (again) to Bristol, Bath, maybe London. That would give me time to write and to enjoy the day – meeting friends for lunch and then to a matinee at the theatre or a trip to an exhibition.
Summer in San Remo by Evonne WarehamSeries: The Riviera Rogues #1
Published by Choc Lit on 16th July 2017
Genres: Chicklit, Love & Romance
Pages: 231
Goodreads
Amazon Kindle, Audible
Anything could happen when you spend summer in San Remo … Running her busy concierge service usually keeps Cassie Travers fully occupied. But when a new client offers her the strangest commission she's ever handled she suddenly finds herself on the cusp of an Italian adventure, with a man she thought she would never see again. Jake McQuire has returned from the States to his family-run detective agency. When old flame Cassie appears in need of help with her mysterious client, who better than Jake to step in? Events take the pair across Europe to a luxurious villa on the Italian Riviera. There, Cassie finds that the mystery she pursues pales into insignificance, when compared to another discovery made along the way …
Thanks Emma for hosting me today – the questions were fun.