Happy Friday Guys!!!!!! Today I am joined by the lovely Holly Martin to talk about her White Cliff Bay Series.
Summer at Rose Island is out soon and is the third book in the White Cliff Bay series. When I initially started to write this series, I knew that the first two books, Christmas at Lilac Cottage and Snowflakes on Silver Cove would be coming out at the same time so I decided to set both books in the same week in the lead up to the Christmas ball. The books were to be standalone stories, following different characters in the same town of White Cliff Bay but I thought it would be fun if the same key events could be seen from the different characters’ points of view so readers who read both books would see tiny links between the two stories. This was great fun to do but also quite tricky as if it rained on Tuesday in one book, it had to rain on Tuesday in the other book.
The setting for this was important. If key events would affect many characters in both stories then it had to be a small town or village where everyone knows each other. I wanted to set it somewhere a bit different too. Seaside towns are normally reserved for summer stories so I wanted to show a seaside town as it comes together to celebrate Christmas.
Once this was decided, I set out to do some research. Having spent many holidays down in Devon and Cornwall, that was a great place to start. After a call out on Twitter and Facebook, the general consensus was that Polperro was one of the cutest places in Cornwall and when I stayed there for a few days last year, I wasn’t disappointed.
This place was perfect in almost every single way. The whitewashed cottages that seemed to tumble down the hillside, the tiny winding cobbled lanes that barely had enough room for a bike let alone a car. The pretty little harbour, filled with tiny boats of all colours and sizes, bobbing about as the tide came in and out. Cute little individual shops and pubs lined the streets with signs that said they ran on Cornish time, which basically meant they opened whenever they wanted or sometimes not at all. Shops that were supposed to open at ten o’clock sometimes didn’t open until nearly eleven. They’d close for more than an hour for lunch. The chip shop didn’t open at all on any of the evenings we were there but despite this or probably because of this laidback attitude, there was something so wonderful, charming and endearing about the town. The people were friendly and chatty, everyone knew everyone else, I felt content there as if the stresses of the outside world didn’t really matter in this tiny little town. I took a ton of photos while I stayed there which were the main inspiration for all three of my stories.
Although Polperro was perfect, there was one thing missing, the lighthouse which plays a huge part in the Summer at Rose Island story. I knew if all these stories were going to work, I would have to create my own town, with Polperro as my inspiration. Making up the town of White Cliff Bay was much more fun than having to be tied down to the location of shops and beaches in a real town. I can put the shops, restaurants, beaches and lighthouses wherever I want in a made up town and I had a lot of fun mapping this out in my head and on scraps of paper.
So many people have read and loved the White Cliff Bay books and have asked me if it’s a real place. Sadly it isn’t but if you want somewhere that’s just as cute, then I can highly recommend Polperro.
Summer at Rose Island is out on May 13th and is a standalone story set in White Cliff Bay. Here’s what it’s all about.
Summer at Rose Island by Holly Martin Also by this author: One Hundred Proposals, One Hundred Christmas Proposals, The Sentinel, Tied Up with Love
Series: White Cliff Bay #3
Also in this series: Christmas at Lilac Cottage, Snowflakes on Silver Cove, Summer at Rose Island
Published by Bookouture on 13th May 2016
Pages: 288
Goodreads
Amazon Kindle, Audible
Fall in love with the gorgeous seaside town of White Cliff Bay this summer and enjoy long sunny days, beautiful beaches and… a little romance.
Darcy Davenport is ready for a fresh start. Determined to leave a string of disastrous jobs and relationships behind her, she can’t wait to explore White Cliff Bay and meet the locals.
When Darcy swims in the crystal clear waters of the bay, she discovers the charming Rose Island Lighthouse. But it’s not just the beautiful building that she finds so intriguing…
Riley Eddison doesn’t want change. Desperate to escape the memories of his past, he lives a life of solitude in the lighthouse. Yet he can’t help but notice the gorgeous woman who swims out to his island one day.
Darcy is drawn to the mysterious and sexy Riley, but when it seems the town is trying to demolish his home, she soon finds herself having to pick sides.
She’s fallen in love with White Cliff Bay. But is that all Darcy’s fallen for?
Pull up a deck chair, sink back with a bowl of strawberry ice cream and pick up the summer read you won’t be able to put down.
If you want to catch up on the rest of the series the details are below.
Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin Also by this author: One Hundred Proposals, One Hundred Christmas Proposals, The Sentinel, Tied Up with Love
Series: White Cliff Bay #1
Also in this series: Christmas at Lilac Cottage, Snowflakes on Silver Cove, Summer at Rose Island
Published by Bookouture on 25th September 2015
Pages: 350
Goodreads
Amazon Kindle, Audible
Welcome to the charming seaside town of White Cliff Bay, where Christmas is magical and love is in the air…
Penny Meadows loves her home – a cosy cottage decorated with pretty twinkling fairy lights and stunning views over the town of White Cliff Bay. She also loves her job as an ice-carver, creating breathtaking sculptures. Yet her personal life seems frozen.
When Henry and daughter Daisy arrive at the cottage to rent the annex, Penny is determined to make them feel welcome. But while Daisy is friendly, Henry seems guarded.
As Penny gets to know Henry, she realises there is more to him than meets the eye. And the connection between them is too strong to ignore…
While the spirit of the season sprinkles its magic over the seaside town and preparations for the ice sculpting competition and Christmas eve ball are in full swing, can Penny melt the ice and allow love in her heart? And will this finally be the perfect Christmas she’s been dreaming of?
Like a creamy hot chocolate with marshmallows, you won’t want to put this deliciously heartwarming novel down.
Spend the perfect Christmas in White Cliff Bay this year. Snowflakes on Silver Cove coming very soon.
Snowflakes on Silver Cove by Holly Martin Also by this author: One Hundred Proposals, One Hundred Christmas Proposals, The Sentinel, Tied Up with Love
Series: White Cliff Bay #2
Also in this series: Christmas at Lilac Cottage, Snowflakes on Silver Cove, Summer at Rose Island
Published by Bookouture on 30th October 2015
Pages: 294
Goodreads
Amazon Kindle, Audible
Libby Joseph is famous for her romantic Christmas stories. Every December, readers devour her books of falling in love against the magical backdrop of the Christmas season. If only Libby believed in the magic herself…
Struggling to finish her current novel, Libby turns to her best friend and neighbour George Donaldson to cheer her up. But George also needs a bit of support himself. Nervous about getting back into the dating saddle after splitting from his wife, he and Libby strike a deal. She will teach George how to win over the ladies, and Libby will in turn be inspired to inject her novel with a good dose of romance.
As Libby and George explore the beautiful White Cliff Bay on a series of romantic Christmas-themed dates, Libby finds herself having more fun than she’s had in ages and…discovers feelings that she never knew she had for George.
But is it too late? Will George win someone else’s heart or can Libby act like the heroine in one of her stories and reach for her own love under the mistletoe this Christmas?
Snuggle up with a piece of Christmas cake and mulled wine, and spend the festive season at White Cliff Bay. You won’t want to leave! Christmas at Lilac Cottage also out now.
About Holly Martin
Holly has been writing for six years. She was shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romance. Her short story won the Sunlounger competition and was published in the Sunlounger anthology. She won the Carina Valentine’s competition at the Festival of Romance 2013 with her novel The Guestbook. She was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read, Best eBook and Innovation in Romantic Fiction at the Festival of Romance 2014. Holly lives in Bedfordshire.
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