Author Special....Christine Stovell

I am delighted to welcome Christine to the Novel Café today. Christine has taken the time to write about what influences her as an author, her two fantastic novels published by Choc Lit and her new book due for release next summer. Thank you Christine!

Christine Stovell: Three by the Sea

Hi Nic, thank you so much for inviting me to join you at the Novel Café!

I’m Christine Stovell and I live and write on the coast of west Wales.  I’ve always loved the sea, but it really influenced my writing when I met a keen sailor and thought how romantic the thought of sleeping under starry skies in a quiet anchorage sounded.  We married and bought our vintage wooden boat that same month... and then I discovered how dreadfully prone to seasickness I am!  Nevertheless, we did manage to sail half way round Britain.  The sleepy backwaters, picturesque harbours and fascinating characters we met along the way all worked their way into my imagination and into my writing, but one day I suddenly ‘saw’ an image of a troubled young woman sitting by the water’s edge.  Her story became my first novel, Turning the Tide, which is published by Choc Lit.

Turning the Tide

Harry (Harriet) Watling has spent five years trying to keep her father’s boatyard afloat.  Now all she wants to do is enjoy the peace and quiet of her sleepy backwater.  Property developer, Matthew Corrigan, has other ideas; he wants to turn the boat yard into an upmarket housing complex for his exotic new restaurant. And the odds seem to be stacked in Matthew’s favour. He’s got the colourful locals on board, his hard-to-please girlfriend is warming to the idea and he has the means to force Harry’s hand. Meanwhile, Harry has to fight not just his plans but also her feelings for the man himself.  When a family secret from the past creates heartbreak for Harry, and neither of them is prepared for what happens next...

Move Over Darling, my second contemporary novel, also published by Choc Lit, is influenced by the Welsh coast where I live.  The population here is small, with comparatively few people spread out over a large area.  I started to wonder how couples ever found each other!  It’s an exquisitely beautiful part of Wales, attractive to tourists and second-homers, but some of the lowest wages too mean that employment prospects are often brighter elsewhere.  A trip to New York suggested the book’s premise:  She’s escaped to the country.  He’s escaped from the country.  Who’s going to admit that home is where the heart is?  From there, I met Coralie Casey and Gethin Lewis.  Coralie doesn’t like the hand fate has dealt her so she’s taken charge of her own destiny.  Gethin’s an artist living in New York who thinks he’s escaped his home village for good – until I came up with other plans for him.  I also had fun with a cast of supporting characters to reflect the book’s theme which is about separation and reunion.

For Follow a Star, which will be published by Choc Lit next summer, I couldn’t resist returning to the fictional seaside town of Little Spitmarsh, the location of Turning the Tide.  I also drew on some of the sailing adventures we had in our wooden boat.  I have to say I had an absolute ball writing this one; I loved meeting May Starling, my heroine, and discovering what her secret was, but I fell for Bill Blythe, my red-haired hero in a big way.  Choc Lit authors are very lucky to have a say in our fabulous covers, designed by the talented Berni Stevens, but I was especially thrilled with this one because the girl on the cover is exactly how I saw my girl, May.  Here’s a bit about Follow a Star…

Sometimes your heart’s the only navigator you need…

May Starling’s had enough of her demanding career and even more demanding ex.  Responding to a ‘crew-wanted’ ad, she follows her dreams of escape only to find herself at sea with red-haired Bill Blythe.

Bill warns May that close-quartered living can create a boiling pot of emotions, but even May is surprised by the heat building up inside the vintage wooden boat.  And when May and Bill tie up at Watling’s Boatyard in Little Spitmarsh, May’s determined to test her new-found feelings on dry land.  

But May’s dream of escaping her former life is in danger of being swept away when several unwelcome blasts from the past follow her ashore, all seemingly hell-bent on reminding her that it’s never that easy to clear the decks.

I’m moving inland for the setting of a novella I’m currently writing, but it’s back to the coast for Book 4. Looking across Cardigan Bay from my study, the sea continues to draw and inspire me… and I’m looking forwards to seeing where it takes me next.

Website: christinestovell.com

Blog:  homethoughtsweekly.blogspot.com

Christine's books are available on Amazon now.