I’m thrilled to host author Cass Grafton on my blog today. Cass is interviewing Anna Redding from her heartwarming romance, The Cottage in a Cornish Cove, the first in the Polkerran Village Tales.
Let’s take a look at the gorgeous cover and blurb first.
Blurb
The Cottage in a Cornish Cove is a heart-warming tale of discovering all you never wanted is exactly what you need.
Orphaned as a baby and raised by uncaring relatives, much of Anna Redding’s happiness as a child came from the long summer holidays spent with an elderly family friend, Aunt Meg, in the charming village of Polkerran.
With Aunt Meg’s passing, Anna is drawn back to the West Country, relocating to the Cornish cove where she was once so happy. Filled with memories, she hopes to perhaps open a B&B—and perhaps cross paths with Alex Tremayne again, a local boy she used to have a major crush on and who only had to walk past Anna to make her heart flutter.
Settling into her new life, and enjoying her work for the older, reclusive and—to be honest—often exasperating Oliver Seymour, Anna is delighted when Alex reappears in Polkerran and sweeps her off her feet.
The stars finally seem to be aligned, but just as Anna thinks all she’s ever wished for is within reach, a shock discovery brings everything under threat, and she realises she’s living a dream that isn’t hers to hold.
Can Anna rescue the new life she has made for herself and, when the testing moment comes, will anyone be there to hold her hand?
Buy Links
Now let’s move onto Cass’s interview with Anna Redding, whose story is told in The Cottage in a Cornish Cove.
First of all, Anna, thank you for welcoming me to your cottage in Polkerran. Can you tell us a bit about how your love affair with Cornwall began and what prompted you to relocate there?
From the age of 6 to 18, I was lucky enough to spend the six-week school summer holidays living in Polkerran, and I simply fell in love with… well, not just the village…
Are you blushing?
No! Well, maybe a bit. Anyway, it was all down to serendipity. This lady (I called her Aunt Meg, though she wasn’t really a relation) came to visit her friends in Chiswick, next door to where I was growing up with my aunt and uncle. She kindly offered for me to stay with her in Cornwall every summer. They were some of the happiest days of my childhood.
And that made you blush, why?
Er… well, okay. I also developed this massive crush on one of the local boys, Alex Tremayne. He lived in the local manor house, was—is a few years older than me and he was just… gorgeous. Blond, sun kissed and with this dazzling smile—not that he ever directed it at me back then, of course. I was just some gangly-limbed kid, a summer visitor he barely noticed.
But that’s all in the past; just a silly teenage crush. Sadly, Aunt Meg passed away recently and to my amazement, she left me her house in Polkerran. I wasn’t in the best place, to be honest. I’d let myself drift into a demoralising relationship, and it seemed like a lifeline, a chance to escape and start again, so I relocated down to the place where I remembered being the happiest I had ever been in my life.
What do you miss most about your old life in North Yorkshire?
I miss my mate, Lauren, so much, even though we’re on Zoom chats all the time! We were friends from our college days and we’d shared the house in Harrogate (with Georgia) for a few years. There was something so lovely about living in that house, and I miss the companionship. There was always someone to talk to, listen to, laugh with.
I also miss Harrogate. It was a fun place to live and work, and my job was so rewarding. I travelled all over Yorkshire co-ordinating events, and I miss the pressure and variety.
Your part-time job doing admin for a writer/historian must be a huge change of pace. What’s it like working for Oliver Seymour?
It’s a bit of a challenge, to be honest. I can’t quite work him out. I mean, he’s pretty grumpy most of the time. Doesn’t mince his words… or in fact, use many if he can help it.
So you’re not enjoying the job?
Oh yes I am! I love the work. Oliver’s working on this amazing history book and his writing is fantastic. It’s not at all dry; somehow, he brings it all alive, as if it’s living history, if that makes sense? He’s a social historian, so I suppose that’s what he lives and breathes.
It’s just… if I’m honest, I’m not overly stretched, typing and editing. I’m hoping he might have more work for me once the book is done.
Is that why you’ve also decided to open the cottage as a bed and breakfast?
Yes! I’m excited about it. The evenings and weekends can be very long when you’re used to being in a house with other people, and I’ve loved getting the cottage ready for visitors who I know are going to fall in love with the view and staying in Polkerran, much as I did.
When you’re not working, you clearly have a love of baking and enjoy having the locals gathered around the table in your kitchen. How did it come about?
Not by design, but I’ve come to look forward to it. I’ve known Mrs Lovelace since I was a child; she was an old friend of Aunt Meg’s. She came to visit me and brought her daughter, Jean, along, and then Phee called. Phoenix and I met when I used to spend the summers in Polkerran. She’s a year or so younger and has a sweet little daughter. Nicki lives next door, is married to a local fisherman and has two small sons in the village school. She was a great help when I first arrived. Oh, and then there’s Daniel. He’s done a lot of DIY for me at the cottage.
They sort of started to gather around the kitchen table mid-morning, so I began baking cakes and biscuits to ensure I had plenty to offer them. Aunt Meg taught me years ago, so I’m using lots of her hand-written recipes.
Mrs Lovelace is quite a character, and, as you say, you’ve known her ever since your early visits to Polkerran as a child. She’s renowned for her malapropisms. Can you share a couple of your favourites?
Dear old Mrs L. She does come out with them at times. She was talking only the other day about the local Spar shop prostituting people (for shoplifting). Mind you, she also says Alex has interior motives. She meant ulterior of course, but I’m beginning to suspect she may not be far off the mark. I’m very fond of her, even though she does love a good gossip.
Lovely. To finish, I’ve got some quick-fire questions. Can you give me just one word to describe each of these Polkerran locals:
I’ll try. One word isn’t a lot…
Daniel (the odd-job man): I’d have to say decent.
Alex (your teenage crush): That’s easy, dreamy!
Mrs Lovelace: Definitely endearing.
Phoenix (your friend from your summers in Polkerran): Carefree.
Nicki (your next-door neighbour): she’s my Cornish rock!
Oliver (your boss): Exasperating. No, wait. Inscrutable… I mean taciturn, but also considerate. And intelligent. Sorry; you said one word? Tall. He’s very tall…
Interesting. Well, thank you Anna, for your time and the delicious hot chocolate. I think I can hear your band of locals approaching, so I’ll take my leave (and just one of those brownies, if that’s okay?) and let you enjoy your coffee time.
I love the sound of this book. Readers are too. Here are some of their reviews:
Poignant and uplifting, this is a heart-warming and emotional tale set in a beautiful Cornish village fans of Fern Britton and Jane Linfoot are sure to enjoy. Beautifully told, brilliantly atmospheric and absolutely unputdownable, Cass Grafton has penned a spellbinding romantic read that is simply mesmerizing.
Bookish Jottings
So thoroughly gorgeous, and so well written – with tremendous warmth, lovely touches of gentle humour, quite wonderful characters. It just fills your heart with joy, with a perfect balance of tears and laughter. Highly, highly recommended.
Being Anne Blog
Plenty of giggles (and a few laugh out loud moments); a touch of mystery that keeps the pages turning to the end… romance to make you weak at the knees.
Amazon US Reviewer
If you fancy treating yourself to a copy you can grab one here:
Smashwords (for PDF, lrf, txt, pdb, html, Mobi or ePub files) on:
Meet Cass
Cass Grafton – Bio
An avid bookworm since childhood, Cass Grafton writes the sort of stories she loves to read–heart-warming, character driven and strong on location. Having moved around extensively and lived in three countries, she finds places inspiring and the setting of her novels often becomes as much a part of the story as her characters.
She leans heavily towards the upbeat and insists on a happy ever after. As one of her favourite authors, Jane Austen, once wrote, ‘let other pens dwell on guilt and misery’.
Cass loves travelling, words, cats and wine but never in the same glass. She has two grown up children and currently splits her time between Switzerland, where she lives with her husband and imaginary cats, and England, where she lives with her characters.
Social Media links
Blogs
http://www.cassandragrafton.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassGraftonWriter
Twitter: @CassGrafton
Instagram : @cassgraftonwriter
Thanks so much for popping by to tell us about your book, Cass. Wishing you many sales.
Sassy, heartwarming romances set in glorious locations: Amazon Author Page
Karen King: Author 
Thank you so much for allowing me to share my interview here, Karen! Much appreciated.
You’re welcome! 🙂