A Train From Penzance to Paris by Laura Briggs
Publication Date: 8th April 2020
Pens,
Paper, and Paris in my Heroine’s Latest Adventure!
Thank
you so much to Ellesea for letting me share with her readers about my
newest book today! Titled A Train from Penzance to Paris it
continues the adventures of Maisie Clark, an aspiring novelist who
found herself on Cornish shores working as a chambermaid at a
historic hotel. Surrounded by quirky co-workers, eccentric guests,
and a charming yet somewhat mysterious love interest, Maisie is
living out adventures she could only have dreamed of penning in a
manuscript’s pages before—even though all that excitement does
rather distract from her efforts to become a novelist at times.
As
an author, I’ve always had a soft spot for stories that feature
different aspects of the writer’s experience. Whether it’s the
humorous kind (The Rewrite with Hugh Grant), the escapist kind
(Romancing the Stone), or even the darkly comedic and
suspenseful (Deathtrap, Sunset Boulevard) there’s
something fascinating in the inspirations and insecurities of those
who put pen to paper in crafting a story. So it really has been quite
fun to explore that side of Maisie’s character a bit more in depth
in this latest addition to the series, which finds her en route to
Paris, her favorite novelist and would-be writing mentor at her side
as she begins the next stage of the journey to becoming a successful
author.
Plunged
into the world of famous novelists and publishing professionals,
Maisie is quickly overwhelmed. Does she really have the talent to rub
shoulders with the same literary geniuses she’s admired as a
reader? And what about her eager, would-be literary agent—can he
really find a way to sell Maisie’s book? Or is all his talk about
contracts and film rights just pie-in-the-sky notions?
Amid
these questions and worries, Maisie all but stumbles her way into a
random amateur writer’s circle. Their warm welcome and ongoing
support become a critical part of Maisie’s writing journey and
certainly an unexpected one. And then, of course, there’s Maisie’s
writing mentor to guide her, the secretive and brilliant novelist
Alistair Davies. Does Davies’ advice really hold the key to her
future success—or has her dream somehow gotten off track on their
journey from Port Hewer to Paris and London?
With
her trusty travel journal at hand—and her pen busy composing many a
letter and postcard to her friends back in Cornwall—there is much
at stake for Maisie in this new adventure, and not just when it comes
to getting her pages into print. There’s a matter of the heart
involved, as fans of the series well know, with Maisie’s
relationship with handsome village groundskeeper Sidney Daniels still
up in the air following her abrupt departure from Port Hewer to
Paris. And things may never be the same between them again...even if
Maisie does somehow keep her promise to return to Cornwall, no matter
what.
Follow
Maisie’s journey by joining in the fun of A LITTLE HOTEL IN
CORNWALL. Books one through five in the series are now available in
eBook format, and book six is currently available for pre-order on
Amazon!
When
Maisie accepts a celebrated author’s invitation to mentor her, she
finds herself leaving Cornwall behind on train tracks bound for the
glitter city of Paris. Instead of making beds and serving coffee at
the Penmarrow hotel in Cornwall, she’s making notes on her
manuscript while sitting in a French cafe, meeting famous writers at
private dinner parties, and trying to ferret the secrets behind the
author’s unfinished future novel.
It’s
glamorous, it’s breathtaking … but it’s also an ocean channel
away from the place that she loves, and, more importantly, the person
to whom she just recently confessed her deepest feelings. Separated
from Sidney by distance and circumstances, Maisie fears that their
connection will be lost despite her words to him – and maybe
because of those words, and the ones she didn’t allow him to say in
return.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of things in her new life trying to distract her – the professional editor hired to critique her novel, the eager young literary agent who sees pie-in-the-sky potential for Maisie’s talent, but Maisie finds solace in the eclectic group of amateur writers into whose midst she finds herself by accident. Their critique and advice is fast becoming as important as the editors – maybe even more important than the published author Maisie believed held the keys to refining her skill.
But it’s missing Sidney that fills Maisie’s thoughts the most, along with her life back in Port Hewer, and she can’t stop wondering whether his feelings are the same as her own. His unspoken answer has become one of the most important pieces of her life, even as she struggles to match the pace of her new life and keep her dreams in sight. And when she unwittingly becomes privy to a seeming literary conspiracy, she must decide what to do in light of its truth – and decide what’s most important in her quest to become a professional writer.
Join Maisie in a whirlwind tour across two of the world’s greatest cities, filled with questions, dreams, and a chance for fame that she believed far beyond her grasp, as she discovers herself as a writer, and how to embrace an unexpected future on her own terms.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of things in her new life trying to distract her – the professional editor hired to critique her novel, the eager young literary agent who sees pie-in-the-sky potential for Maisie’s talent, but Maisie finds solace in the eclectic group of amateur writers into whose midst she finds herself by accident. Their critique and advice is fast becoming as important as the editors – maybe even more important than the published author Maisie believed held the keys to refining her skill.
But it’s missing Sidney that fills Maisie’s thoughts the most, along with her life back in Port Hewer, and she can’t stop wondering whether his feelings are the same as her own. His unspoken answer has become one of the most important pieces of her life, even as she struggles to match the pace of her new life and keep her dreams in sight. And when she unwittingly becomes privy to a seeming literary conspiracy, she must decide what to do in light of its truth – and decide what’s most important in her quest to become a professional writer.
Join Maisie in a whirlwind tour across two of the world’s greatest cities, filled with questions, dreams, and a chance for fame that she believed far beyond her grasp, as she discovers herself as a writer, and how to embrace an unexpected future on her own terms.
Laura
Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including
the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a
fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots),
and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When
she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends,
caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or
play.
