It’s Friday! WOOOOO. Today I am excited to be joined by Jenny Hale to learn more about her and her new book.
Jenny, can you tell us a little about you?
When I graduated college, one of my friends said, “Look out for this one; she’s going to be an author one day.” Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn’t until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to me.
While I didn’t start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children, and hundreds of thousands of words later, I completed a novel that I felt was worthy of publication. The result was Coming Home for Christmas, a story about friends, family, and the magic of love at Christmas.
The rest is history.
Can you tell us about your new book?
This book is about a woman named Emily Tate, who returns to her charming childhood home Oyster Bay. It’s like coming up for air after the fast pace of her city life. At the farm her grandfather built, surrounded by sister Rachel’s chatter, Gram’s buttermilk biscuits, and soft, white sand, Emily is reminded of exactly who she is and what she holds most dear.
When Emily starts work at elegant Water’s Edge Inn, Charles Peterson, the handsome new owner, asks for her help. He wants to expand, and needs Emily to teach him the local ways, so he can convince the planning commission. But Emily vows to make him fall in love with her hometown, just the way it is.
At work, Charles is reserved and serious, yet once Emily has him kicking off his shoes in the sand and sailing across the glistening Chesapeake Bay, she sees another side to him, and their easy rapport feels like the start of something big.
But when it becomes clear Charles’s plans for the inn involve bulldozing Oyster Bay, Emily is heartbroken. Will she lose her home and Charles all at once, or can she save Oyster Bay, and give true love a chance?
What is your favourite place to write?
I enjoy writing in my office. Or anywhere quiet, really! I have two very active little boys who keep me very busy, so quiet time is my favorite time when it comes to writing.
Where do you get your character inspiration from?
I store away mannerisms I see, people’s laughter, the way their facial expressions move—things like that—and then the rest of the character just sort of emerges within the story.
What are your 3 desert island books?
All 3 would be by Sophie Kinsella because I could read hers over and over! Any of them!
What is your favourite place to read?
On the sofa, under a big, fluffy blanket with a cup of coffee.
What is your favourite book and why?
I don’t have a favorite. There are so many wonderful things that I encounter while reading different authors. There might be a small scene or an author’s word choice that I fall in love with… So I couldn’t only choose one.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Sit on a beach, read, drink a margarita.
Chocolate or sweets?
Depends on my mood, but right now, I’d say candy.
Is there a book you wished you wrote?
No! If I’d written it, the story would be different and I enjoy hearing how other authors tell a story. And, if I come up with a story, I don’t wish I’d written it, I write it! So, no regrets.
You have a free flight and accommodation to anywhere in the world where would you go?
England.
What is your favourite season?
I love all of the seasons, which is why I enjoy living in Virginia—we have all four distinct seasons. We get snow in the winter and heat in the summer with a mild fall and spring.
Where can we find you?
Twitter: @jhaleauthor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jennyhaleauthor
Blog/Website: www.itsjennyhale.com
Summer at Oyster Bay by Jenny Hale Also by this author: Coming Home For Christmas, Summer by the Sea, A Christmas to Remember, The Summer House
Published by Bookouture on 9th June 2016
Pages: 278
Goodreads
Amazon Kindle, Audible
Summer at Oyster Bay is the perfect, feel-good summer romance, about the importance of home and family, learning what love is, and living for the moment.
They say falling in love is easy. But what if you know it’ll break your heart?
For Emily Tate, returning to her charming childhood home Oyster Bay is like coming up for air after the fast pace of her city life. At the farm her grandfather built, surrounded by sister Rachel’s chatter, Gram’s buttermilk biscuits, and the soft, white sand, Emily is reminded of exactly who she is and what she holds most dear.
When Emily starts work at elegant Water’s Edge Inn, Charles Peterson, the handsome new owner, asks for her help. He wants to expand and needs Emily to teach him the local ways, so he can convince the planning commission. Emily vows to make him fall in love with her hometown, just the way it is.
At work, Charles is reserved and serious, yet once Emily has him kicking off his shoes in the sand and sailing across the glistening Chesapeake Bay, she sees another side to him, and their easy rapport feels like the start of something big.
But when it becomes clear Charles’s plans for the inn involve bulldozing Oyster Bay, Emily is heartbroken. Will she lose her home and Charles all at once, or can she save Oyster Bay, and give true love a chance?
About Jenny Hale
When I graduated college, one of my friends said, “Look out for this one; she’s going to be an author one day.” Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn’t until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to me.
Sometimes our friends can see the things that we can’t.
While I didn’t start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children, and hundreds of thousands of words later, I completed a novel that I felt was worthy of publication. The result is Coming Home for Christmas, a heart-warming story about friends, family, and the magic of love at Christmas.
I released my second book, Love Me for Me, this past summer, and my next novel, A Christmas to Remember is out now.
When I’m not writing, I’m a District Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages, a mother of two boys, and a wife to a very supportive husband.
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