One Day Blog Blitz and Author Guest Post: A Little Hotel in Cornwall by Laura Briggs

Re-booting Maisie’s Cornish Adventures

Thanks so much to Ellesea for letting me share with her readers about my series A LITTLE HOTEL IN CORNWALL. Its books have been among my favorites to work on, with its breathtaking setting, plucky heroine, and a parade of exciting events ranging from a glitzy summer ball, to a daring jewelry heist, and even a whirlwind trip to Paris at one point. Luckily for me, readers were eager to see more of Maisie Clark and the staff at the quirky hotel Penmarrow, even when the eighth installment had wrapped with a seeming happy-ever-after.

Now that I’ve launched plans to reboot the series with a brand new set of stories about Maisie’s life, I thought it might be fun to share a few details on how these up-coming adventures will be different from the original set of eight novellas...without giving away too many spoilers for either series, of course! So let’s dive in, starting with the biggest change readers can expect when it comes to Maisie’s continuing stories.

More tearjerker moments will pop up

Up to this point, Maisie’s experience has been pretty idyllic, after all. She chased her writing dreams to Cornish shores, found her home away from home at a cosy seaside hotel, and fell madly in love. It had the spirit of adventure found in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s works, with a dash of Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier when it came to intrigue and drama. And even though her new stories will have similar escapist elements, there will also be dilemmas of the heart more profound than Maisie has encountered in the past.

Readers will notice a bit more influence from Me Before You than episodes of Road to Avonlea this time around. There are nods to classic romance tropes found in other stories like The Way We Were, Dying Young, and Love Story, for instance. Bigger obstacles and higher stakes await Maisie in the next phase of her journey—one that involves less Cornish sunshine and more drizzly London days as she forges a new path to happy-ever-after. Which brings us to the next big change, one involving the reason Maisie came to Cornwall in the first place.

Maisie’s writing dreams take a new turn

From the start, Maisie’s passion for books and writing has played a huge role in the series. It was the catalyst for her journey to Cornwall in the first place, on the trail of the elusive but brilliant novelist Alistair Davies for some much needed advice. And even though her literary hero wasn’t quite how she pictured, Maisie still found the key to her dreams on Cornish shores (in more ways than one, as it turned out).

Her literary aspirations will play an even bigger role in this new set of books, but with a different set of challenges. Maisie will find herself on the fringes of the London writing scene and part of a publishing circle that boasts colorful characters, petty rivalries, and at least one snobby editor who would like to take a match to her work. It’s a quirky and whirlwind journey that I hope readers will enjoy being part of almost as much as the antics at the Penmarrow, where Maisie will still be on hand as part-time chambermaid for all the drama unfolding in its stately halls. There will be a few other grand backdrops for her new adventures too, which brings us to the final big difference readers can expect from the series reboot.

Get ready for more location hopping

In addition to the Penmarrow and her life in London, Maisie will spend more time at a certain Gothic manor house that readers encountered in the original series’ eighth novella, The Cornish Key to Happiness. Whirlwind holidays to exotic places and a memorable trip to Oxford are also in Maisie’s near future. So definitely more scenery changes than previous adventures, but with all roads leading back to the atmospheric Penmarrow, as Maisie’s home away from home, and the place her heart most wants to be.

So if you read and loved the original series, I hope you’ll be sure to check out the new spin on a familiar world. And if you’ve never tried it but think it sounds like your cup of tea—well, now is the perfect time to join the fun! The eight novellas in A LITTLE HOTEL IN CORNWALL are available as both individual titles, as well as a book bundle (which also comes in two handy paperback volumes). The first installment in Maisie’s new set of books, The Girl of Lost Petals and Possibilities, is already available at major eBook retailers, with three more titles on pre-order.

A Little Hotel in Cornwall: Books 1-8 by Laura Briggs

All eight novellas in the UK bestselling series A LITTLE HOTEL IN CORNWALL are now available in one collection! Follow aspiring young author Maisie Clark as she stumbles into a role as a maid in the idyllic hotel by the sea, where there’s never a dull moment, from her quest to track down a reclusive English novelist, to her brush with jewel thieves and a whirlwind trip through Paris and London to name a few. All the while, she finds herself falling for the handsome and enigmatic groundskeeper Sidney Daniels. Could the key to unlocking her dreams be right in front of her?

This collection contains A Little Hotel in Cornwall, A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores, Sea Holly and Mistletoe Kisses, The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise, A Train from Penzance to Paris, A Cornish Daisy’s Kiss, A Stargazy Night Sky, and The Cornish Key to Happiness.

http://mybook.to/LHboxset

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.

Author Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI

Twitter page: http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ

Giveaway to Win a PB copy of A Little Hotel in Cornwall: Books 1-8 and a scarf with cover art from the series printed on it (Open to UK and US Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK & US entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Publication Day Push and Extract: Cornish Gold at Summer's End by Laura Briggs

Cornish Gold at Summer’s End by Laura Briggs

Rumors of a ghostly presence haunt Julianne’s Cornish autumn in the series’ charming fourth installment.

What began as a bit of teenage mischief in the village quickly became stories of spooky lights and ghost sightings in the wood. Being sensible, Julianne is more worried about whether she can finish her kids’ costumes in time for the annual Halloween contest—and whether husband Matt and his eager assistants will be selected for the exclusive Brookshire Garden Design Competition. So when everyone in town begins flocking to the local ‘ghost walk’ tours Julianne assures her wide-eyed children it’s just a case of imagination run wild...until she experiences her own brush with the supernatural, that is.

Real or imagined, Julianne can’t shrug off what she saw, or even bring herself to confide in sympathetic Matt for advice. Best friend Kitty is on hand to help, despite her usual family battles, including that of her cousins’ shady new scheme to profit from the town’s ghost mania. But even Julianne’s friends can’t fully understand her need to find a solution this time, one that leads her on a quirky quest from local lore, to meetings with the village’s ragtag paranormal club, and even a creepy abandoned cottage hiding secrets in the woods.

Join Julianne for suspense, surprises, and (of course) heartfelt moments as book four in the series brings an autumn like no other to sleepy Ceffylgwyn.

Thanks so much to Ellesea for this opportunity to give her readers a glimpse of my latest story. It is the autumn-themed fourth installment in my series about Julianne, an event planner who lives in a gorgeous Cornish village. In the following scene, Julianne observes the popular ghost walk tour that has curious crowds flocking to the village as Halloween grows near.

"Step this way, ladies and gentlemen, and we'll begin our tour with a story. Tonight, in the shadows of an old Cornish pub, we walk in the direction of the original public house in this village, burned tragically by a fifteenth-century fire which claimed three lives..."

Several men and women bundled against the evening's chill were trickling out of the public house's door, following the guide dressed in an old-fashioned cloak and carrying an electric lantern. Despite the guide's creepy voice and story, some of them didn't look serious, with a few giggles and smiles among them, especially the two girls in puffy coats.

I stepped aside until they passed, but the last person out was a familiar face — Lady Amanda shut the door behind them, stopping short when she recognized me.

"Coming to join us, Juli?" she asked, wrapping her camel-colored pashmina more closely around herself. It matched the wool hat she was wearing, pulled down over her ears and the upper half of her long ginger braid. "It should be another exciting evening."

"Are you going along?" I asked. "It's three miles, isn't it?"

"It is, but since it starts at a pub and ends at an inn with a proper bar, no one complains," said Amanda, cheerily. "It takes the chill out of one's bones. Besides, I'm only seeing them to the old post road, then I'm turning aside and meeting Rosie for dinner off the Golden Perch's new tapas menu. Will's minding Edwin and Charles for the evening, so I'm enjoying a bit of freedom." She stepped out of the doorway as another patron went inside the Fisherman's Rest. "I'm sure Rosie wouldn't mind a third if you'd fancy coming along."

"Thanks, but I have a crowd to feed at home," I said. "I'm only stopping in for a bite to eat because dinner is delayed and I'm starving. I don't want my kids catching me raiding the biscuit cupboard at home."

"I'd stop with you, but I do like to watch the visitor's reactions to Gerard's little speech," she said. The guide was pointing towards the local clothing boutique, which I presumed was the site of something long lost in Ceffylgwyn's history.

https://smarturl.it/cornishgold

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.

Find Laura on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI

Follow her on Twitter at http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ

Giveaway to Win an e-copy of Cornish Gold at Summer’s End (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Publication Day Push with an Extract: the Cornish Key To Happiness by Laura Briggs

The Cornish Key to Happiness by Laura Briggs

Past secrets return to complicate Maisie’s future with the charming Sidney Daniels in the final installment of the Cornish romance series.

Picking up where book seven left off, Maisie’s plans to celebrate her book’s thrilling news remain on hold after Sidney has vanished from Port Hewer overnight, following a brush with his secret past. His departure leaves Maisie with a head full of questions and a heart torn in two, made even worse by the rumors flying about him through the town. Where and why has he gone? Will he ever come back again? And—foremost in Maisie’s mind—was the heartache from his younger days somehow to blame for his sudden and mysterious flight?

But when Dean convinces her that Sidney may be facing a choice that could ruin his life, Maisie must set out to find him, once again leaving behind the Cornish seaside haven of Port Hewer she’s come to think of as home, and leaving behind the answer to a secret she’s been longing to know since the beginning. Not knowing when or if she’ll return, she’s taking the biggest risk with her heart so far...and the truth she discovers waiting for her at the end of her journey will make her wonder if things can ever possibly be the same as they were before.

Questions are answered, secrets are spilled, and the biggest reveal of the series is finally unveiled as A LITTLE HOTEL IN CORNWALL reaches its exciting conclusion.

https://smarturl.it/cornishroad

Thank you so much to Ellesea for letting me drop by and share an extract of my new book with her readers! Called The Cornish Key to Happiness, it is the eighth book in my series ‘A Little Hotel in Cornwall’ and concludes the story of Maisie Clark, a wannabe writer who chased her dreams all the way to Cornwall and a quirky hotel by the sea. The following scene finds Maisie on a train bound for London, though, where her boyfriend Sidney is confronting the past he’s kept concealed from her, making Maisie wonder what his actions mean for their future as a couple.

Long train journeys give one plenty of time to think, which wasn't what I wanted, though I knew I needed it. Reflection brought uncertainty and anxiety, as if I was barreling towards a messy failure I would never be able to control. Telling myself that it would all be fine was not working, for at the back of it all was the fear that Sidney had made exactly the choice he wanted, the choice he needed, even if Dean was right about the mother's reasons.

What if Sidney has decided he doesn't belong in Cornwall anymore? I would look ridiculous, sitting in his living room, telling him it was his true role in life to play handyman at the vicarage for room, board, and pocket change, just so stray dogs had a place to call home, and stray people with loneliness in their lives had him to fill the gap. But it was more than Dean who needed him right now — it was people like frail Mrs. Primmer and elderly Mr. James, who looked forward to having someone young and cheerful patch their homes and surprise them with kind gestures. Someone else could take his place, but it wouldn't be him anymore, friendly, thoughtful, and capable in nearly any situation.

What if he thought I was asking only for myself? Because I loved him deeply, and life in Cornwall would never be the same without him. It would be easy to believe, because it would be easy for me to betray that fact, compared to the two days I spent numb and helpless to understand why after he left.

The train stopped with a low, grinding whine, a station of people moving to and fro outside my window, seeming a hundred miles away. It sped on a moment later, as I pretended to take an interest in the copy of the real Tam Lin myth I had brought with me, though I opened its cover just to give myself something to do.

A faded daisy from this summer past marked one of its pages. I twirled it once between my fingers, remembering how Sidney had picked it for me, tucking it in my hair when we went for a picnic by the ruins of an old tin mine on a day we were both free. I had pressed it between the book's folds when reading became less interesting than playing with his fingers, his arm wrapping me close against him. We watched seabirds swooping for our leftover crusts, laughing about something silly that happened in the village recently.

Four hours to London, where I would look into those hazel eyes and see if what he wrote in his letter was true or only words. This time, no Cornish sunlight turning those unruly curls to red gold, no grass stains on his faded cotton shirt, imbued with the scent of field clover and hay when I nestled my face against his shoulder. It would be unromantic reality, probably in a living room decorated with modest furniture and strangers' photos.

And what if everything changed? What if that magic doesn't exist outside of Cornwall?

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.

Author Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI

Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ

One Day Book Blitz and Extract: A Stargazy Night Sky by Laura Briggs

A Stargazy Night Sky by Laura Briggs

Starry autumn nights are bringing a rare celestial event and exciting new guests to the shores of the sleepy hotel Penmarrow.

Maisie is happy to be back among its staff, even with the question of its future ownership still in the air and the fate of her unpublished manuscript soon to be in the hands of London acquisitions editors. More than anything else, she’s happy to finally be in a relationship with Sidney Daniels, the sparks between them no longer denied. She’s excited for the future and things couldn’t be better with regards to romance … except for those lingering little questions about Sidney’s uncertain past, that is.

Meanwhile, the staff at the Penmarrow is tasked with hosting a special celestial conference where stargazers are gathering for a glimpse of the much-anticipated comet. The ever-timid maid Molly is flustered by the return of charming astronomer George and seems to need a little advice on how to rekindle the spark they shared last autumn. Hotel porters Gomez and Riley vie for the attentions of a mysterious female guest, the eccentric ‘Megs’ Buntly pays another visit, and a dramatic revelation about someone on staff will leave Maisie and everyone else reeling from the unexpected news. Is this the moment for the revelation Maisie has been waiting for since her Cornish journey began?

Brimming with humor, romance, and the kind of surprises its fans have come to expect, the seventh book in the series brings a twist at the end that’s sure to leave readers excited — and anxious — for the conclusion of Maisie’s original gorgeous Cornish adventure.

Thank you to Ellesea for the chance to give her readers a glimpse of my feel-good romance read A Stargazy Night Sky. The seventh installment in my series ‘A Little Hotel in Cornwall’, it finds aspiring author Maisie still working at the seaside hotel—and finally in a relationship with the charming and semi-mysterious Sidney Daniels. The short extract below finds Maisie and Sidney sharing a lighthearted exchange about their romantic connection.

"Who would we be as a couple?" he asked me.

"What do you mean?" I replied.

"The dynamics of who we are. Two different people are the parts behind the working whole, so we each play a part in it — the yin to each other's yang," he explained. "Theoretically, we should have opposite traits that compliment each other."

"You're impulsive, reckless, and heedless, and so am I," I pointed out.

"True," he said. "And we're both stubborn, unless I don't know you as well as I think."

"You're the more stubborn of the two of us," I pointed out.

"One of us should be a responsible type, the mature realist of the two," Sidney mused. "I hope it's you, because I would be rather rotten at it."

He grinned and dodged as I tried to give his shoulder a hard push. "Certainly you're the most wicked of the two of us," I answered.

"And you're the most trusting of us," said Sidney. "I'm much better at being suspicious. But that trust is quite beautiful and remarkable, especially to a rotten rogue like myself."

I liked that smile, which was one of the gentle, true smiles that comes when Sidney is at his most honest. It laid his feelings open like a book for all to read, but for me in particular, to prove that not all of this conversation was a joking one. What we shared meant as much to him as to me, even if we didn't know just yet how 'we' would take shape. I didn't have the words for this moment and didn't need them, if he could read my response in my eyes.

"Since we can't both be unrealistic dreamers all the time, I suppose we'll have to take turns being responsible," he said. He glanced at me with this conclusion.

We exchanged smiles, and walked on without breaking the hold between us. Our fingers laced, and I leaned against Sidney's shoulder as the bicycle rustled through the stray leaves across the road.

 https://smarturl.it/stargazynight

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.

Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ

Author Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI

New Book Release Spotlight with an Extract: Return To Cornwall by Laura Briggs

Return to Cornwall by Laura Briggs

The sequel novel to the best-selling UK series A WEDDING IN CORNWALL brings new surprises, romance, humor, and wedding bells, to readers who fell in love with the first stories.

Busy mother of two Julianne Rose has extended her talents beyond the manor house, opening her own event planning agency with the help of no-nonsense best friend Kitty. Balancing the chaos of daily life with their respective careers in their beloved Cornish village means Julianne can rarely snatch a romantic moment with handsome husband Matt. And just when it seems things couldn’t get any more chaotic, a sudden arrival at Cliffs House lands Julianne in the most unusual event of her career.

The reappearance of Percy or ‘the old earl’ after years of adventures abroad has temporarily shocked Lord William and Lady Amanda and set the entire village abuzz with gossip. Grizzled, spry, and delightfully eccentric, he’s returned with a most unusual set of traveling companions: an archaeological team digging in a spot whispered to have ties with the legendary Camelot. But it’s Percy’s ties with a certain charming woman among its team that has everyone taken by surprise, along with the news of their soon-to-be nuptials.

Tasked with planning the big day, Julianne and Kitty spring at this opportunity despite its rushed timeline and their own woes regarding the renovation of their future event space. But as the big day rolls closer for the earl and his bride-to-be – with cakes and wedding flowers competing with pottery shards and an ancient warrior chieftain’s grave for attention -- are there still surprising revelations to come?

Adding to the excitement is the return of former Cliffs House maid Gemma, whose posh new life as a novelist may not be all it seems … and Dinah visits in a flurry of festive baking for a holiday competition on everyone’s favorite baking show. Kitty’s life is in a tizz regarding both family and secrets … and Julianne’s happy marriage is challenged by an unwelcome sexy-and-persistent suitor among the summer visitors.

Filled with old friends, new adventures, and heartwarming Cornish charm, RETURN TO CORNWALL is an all-new, full-length novel—the first one ever to feature the characters from the original series!

https://smarturl.it/returntocornwall

Thanks so much to Ellesea for letting me share an extract from my newest book Return to Cornwall with her lovely readers! It continues the adventures of event planner Julianne and her friends in a sleepy Cornish village, first introduced in my series ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. In the scene below, Julianne shares a secret with her friend and business partner Kitty about a potential new client for their shop.

"Percy did tell me something strange," I said to Kitty. "I don't know what to make of it. He's keeping it secret from the family for now, and I feel weird knowing he told me before them. I don't know how I'll feel about facing Amanda until he does."

His confidence had become a big rock tucked in my pocket after tea at the manor. I wished that Percy had waited to talk to me after he talked to his lady love — who, for all I knew, had other plans in life that would lead to a big 'no.'

"Why'd he tell you?" Kitty perched her weight against the table's edge.

I was the one who shrugged this time. "Because he said I'm trustworthy," I said. "He said Lady A respects me as a colleague and as a friend, and that he could ask my help without worry."

"Professionally?" said Kitty. She arched one eyebrow. I said nothing.

"You don't have to say," she continued, since I was silent. "But it's a bit pointless for him to say it, unless that's why."

"Come on. You know I can't tell you since even Will doesn't know and it's his own grandfather." I sighed. "I don't know if it changes anything for them, or if you're right, and he's just nuts."

"Fine. Don't tell me. But you know I'd never tell another living soul." She popped the last bite of sticky bun in her mouth.

"Even Nathan?" I challenged.

"Especially Nathan. You heard him. He's a right gossip in the business world, and he's still a bit naive about this place after all these years. I wouldn't trust him with a deep secret as far as I could toss this mug." A touch of scorn in her voice. "It's almost as bad as telling my mum something."

"Not quite that bad. But I get what you're saying," I said. "I still can't tell you, though. Except that if he asks for my help, I'll probably need yours, so it's for the best that you're not going on holiday to the Spanish beaches." There was no way I'd plan an off-the-cuff wedding for the earl and his bride, no matter how eccentric the ceremony.

"Unless he's planning a surprise party for his return, there's only one thing he'd care about having an event planner for," said Kitty. "That's big enough to keep a secret, in my book. "

I wasn't planning to tell another living soul about this, not Matthew, not even a friend as good as Kitty. But she'd as good as guessed, as I could see by looking in her face, making me sorry I'd brought it up. Or maybe I wasn't, because this was what I wanted on a subconscious level — another person to carry the burden. And nobody was the steel fortress of secrets that Kitty was.

"Who is she?" said Kitty.

"Who's who?" I feigned innocence.

A scornful noise from the back of Kitty's throat was her reply. I surrendered.

"I have no idea," I said. "The secret went as far as asking if I was available this summer, since he can't burden the family with extra work, given how busy they are — and with little Charlotte getting closer by the day."

I puffed out my cheeks with a slow sigh. Kitty picked a splinter off the table's roughest edge. We exchanged glances afterwards, two smiles that sealed the secret as just between us.

"A girlfriend for the earl," she said, musing aloud. "Probably twenty-five, sun-baked, and hoping the manor's still a property up for grabs, do you think?"

"Maybe she's a senior tourist from one of those African safaris."

Kitty quirked her eyebrow in a way that suggested there wasn't the slightest chance. But she hadn't heard the earl's speech on beauty running deeper than the typical model of perfection, which left me clinging to a slim hope that it wasn't a leggy, perky, history student-turned-summer volunteer, as if I didn't know the odds already.

We both reached the point of a giggle to be stifled. The door rolled open and Nathan appeared, a bundle of old tarps that looked worse for wear under his arm. "What did I miss?" he asked, a smile creeping around his lips.

"Men," said Kitty, shaking her head. She took the tarp's edge, helping him fold it into a square.

"What?" He still looked mystified.

"Nothing," I assured him. "Just the two of us being silly because you were gone so long."

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.

Author Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI

Author Twitter: http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ

Giveaway to Win an e-copy of Return to Cornwall by Laura Briggs (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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New Release Spotlight and Excerpt: A Cornish Daisy's Kiss by Laura Briggs

A Cornish Daisy’s Kiss by Laura Briggs

Weeks after boarding a train to Paris in pursuit of her writing dreams, aspiring novelist Maisie Clark is right back where she started: on the idyllic shores of Port Hewer in Cornwall, luggage in hand and heart filled with anticipation for what lies ahead. Except that nothing seems the same as Maisie left it, from her place among the staff at the hotel Penmarrow to her budding romance with groundskeeper Sidney Daniels, who isn’t quite ready to overlook the painful consequences of her sudden departure.

Losing Sidney would be unbearable, but Maisie can’t help fearing it might be true if the rift between them proves too deep to heal. She knows her feelings for him are unchanged, but whether he feels the same remains to be seen—particularly since she stopped him from expressing them in the first place. And to make matters worse, her position at the Penmarrow has been filled by another, there’s nowhere for her to live in the village, and her savings are finally dwindling to a pathetic number – with her book still unpublished after her startling discovery about the author helping guide her towards success.

But one thing which hasn’t changed is the drama and excitement at the hotel Penmarrow, where the staff is awaiting inspection from the dreaded owner Ms. Claypool. Stirring up trouble in the meantime is the owner’s special guest ‘Mad Ludwig’, an eccentric architect whose demands are definitely driving everyone on the staff a little crazy. And then there’s the hotel’s mysterious new desk manager, whose behavior ignites Maisie’s suspicions and causes her to become entangled in yet another form of intrigue—one that could unwittingly jeopardize the future of the Penmarrow and everyone who works there, unless Maisie can find a way to undo the harm.

With everything that matters to her most at stake this time, Maisie faces her biggest challenges yet...and her deepest question of the heart as she confronts the reason she returned to Cornwall and the Penmarrow in the first place.

Amazon UK     Amazon US

Thanks so much to Ellesea for this chance to share a glimpse of book six in my ‘A Little Hotel in Cornwall’ series with her lovely readers. Titled A Cornish Daisy’s Kiss, it continues the adventures of amateur writer Maisie Clark in the seaside village of Port Hewer. The scene below finds Maisie attempting to help her former co-workers at the hotel Penmarrow deal with a difficult new guest.

The architect was in the thick of this chaos, a grown-up child with a giant connect-the-dots book spread out on the marble floor. Blue pencil lead on his fingers, a fat carpenter's pencil tucked behind one ear of a prematurely-white cloud of hair. Beak-like nose and serious, squinting eyes made him look slightly like an eagle crouched over his prey, one armed with a long measuring stick and a geometry compass.

"Tea on the table," he ordered Riley, who was bringing in a tray as I held the door for him, to make myself useful and sneak a peak at the much-whispered-about hotel guest. "There, by the door. There are no grounds this time? No little bits for my tongue?" His thick accent was easier to understand when his voice rose — the cloud of white hair around his face floated electrically, making me think of the stereotypical 'mad composer.' Maybe that's how Ludwig really earned his nickname.

"I'd swear it on my life," said Riley. "Shall I take away your, er, lunch?" He pointed towards the tray of untidy dishes piled high by the door — half-eaten sandwiches and pastries, coffee cups in need of a wash. I gathered the architect wasn't fond of interruptions.

"Who is that?" Ludwig pointed to me. "The stranger — she is not allowed, understand?"

"Sorry," I said, meekly. "I was just helping." Me not in a staff uniform was a dead giveaway that I was just a curious tourist peering into the creative mind's private work space.

"No outsiders, you understand?" he repeated to Riley, fiercely. "I must protect my work. It is imperative that no one sees it — in Genoa, spies copied my designs, copied my genius, my grand design. I can never forgive that it would happen again, you understand —"

"Okay, okay, out she goes," said Riley, ushering me away and closing the door as the architect returned to his crouching, drawing, and muttering, without giving any attention to the fresh pot of tea beside his pile of dirty dishes.

"I didn't realize he was so sensitive or I wouldn't have offered," I said to Riley. Truthfully, I was eager to help out just to have something to do with myself between bouts with my book, and all my various doubts chasing each other like squirrels in my head.

"He's nutty as me gran's Christmas pudding," snorted Riley. "Always afraid some unknown opponent's stalking him. He goes on and on about some rival ripping off his design for a Russian mansion or the like. If you ask me, he's imagining it. Who wants to steal drawings of a ruddy gold swan, for crying out loud?"

"Maybe the architect Ms. Claypool didn't hire?" I suggested. "Trying to sneak into consideration if Ludwig doesn't finish his design?"

"Then he'd better hurry, because we'll all be old and gray by the time our esteemed guest finishes his version," answered Riley, as we went through to the main foyer again.

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.

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