October 25, 2012
I’ve been tagged by two authors – Allie Spencer and Rebecca Emin to take part in the The Next Big Thing – a clever way of bringing new reads and authors to people’s attention. The idea is to answer ten questions about writing and the writing life, then tag five more authors the next week.
So here goes:
What is the working title of your book?
My next book is called It Happened One Night but since it’s not out until June 2013, and Miranda’s Mount is out now – I’m going to talk about that one.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I thought the idea flew into my head from nowhere on a long car journey in January 2011 but actually, the seeds were sown before then. I’ve always loved romantic adventure stories such as Lorna Doone, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Robin Hood and must have secretly longed to write one of my own. Miranda’s Mount is a modern day tale of honour, duty, romance, adventure and passion. It’s also set on possibly the most romantic location in Britain – an island castle that looks very much like St Michael’s Mount. As soon as I had the seed of the idea, I *had* to write it!
What genre does your book fall under?
The publisher describes it as a sexy funny contemporary romance which is perfect.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book
This one – which was used for the blurb.
When Miranda finds herself fighting for her home, her job and her heart, sleeping with the enemy may not be the best tactic..
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Both Miranda’s Mount and my next book are published by Piatkus Entice and repped by my agent.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Miranda’s Mount took about 6 months to write – that’s fast for me and I had very few edits which was wonderful. It just flowed out of me.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Gosh, I daren’t mention other authors as I am not worthy etc but I suppose it could be considered as a sexy version of a Katie Fforde or a very British Rachel Gibson or a modern version of a Lisa Kleypas.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Michael Fassbender in his Hex guise for Jago. Kate Winslet for Miranda. Miranda Hart for Ronnie. Judy Dench for Lady Hilary
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
My passion for romantic adventure and love of Cornwall.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I hope it has everything: passion, romance, sex, emotion, laughter, tears, action and adventure
I tag the following authors who may or may not have already done this!
Elizabeth Hanbury http://www.elizabethhanbury.com/
Stevie Carroll http://stevie-carroll.livejournal.com/
Judy Jarvie http://judyj.blogspot.co.uk/
Rachel Lyndhurst http://www.rachellyndhurst.com/
Georgia Hill http://www.georgiahill.co.uk/?page_id=98
Posted by Phillipa @ 1:14 pm |
October 23, 2012
The Blue Lagoon, Akamas, Cyprus
Last week we finally managed to have a very belated 25th wedding anniversary week in north west Cyprus.
While I’ve been away, thank you a million times to everyone who has posted five star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and to the people who have reviewed and messaged me to say they think that Miranda’s Mount is their favourite of all my books. 🙂
So how was the holiday? I’ll leave you with the photos. Sigh – bit of a shock to come home to fog and dark nights but I do have the Festival of Romance to look forward to in a few weeks time.
View from our beach house
The beach house
Posted by Phillipa @ 4:50 am |
October 12, 2012
I’m over at the fabulous Rachel Lyndhurst’s blog today, answering a thorny question for a romance writer: Are your heroes for you – or for your heroines?‘ Please come along and say hello and tell me what you think.
I’ve also got a winner of the competition – I was genuinely bowled over by the number of entries and reckon I could start a Readers’ Guide to 100 islands to See Before You Die! But this time, the winner is LeslieG – congrats, Leslie!
There will be another chnace to win an e book voucher for Miranda’s Mount plus a gorgeous Downton Abbey themed prize on the Fly High blog on October 27th. Thanks to everyone who joined in, I loved reading your island tales.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by Phillipa @ 3:42 am |
October 10, 2012
Big grin on my face this morning. I’ve posted an extract of Miranda’s Mount below but first, I just have to share this wonderful review of the book from Bookishly Attentive.
“I’ve read every one of Phillipa Ashley’s novels and I have to say, this one is my favorite. Everything about it is pitch perfect and from beginning to end, the characters, the setting and the story itself ring true. Written with wit, feeling, intelligence and a good deal of the “hot” factor, Miranda’s Mount is a must-read.”
The whole review is HERE. It is the best feeling in the world when you realise your characters, plot and story have resonated so deeply with a reader.
So Here’s the extract!
Miranda pushed open the door of the armoury, the final stop on her tour of the castle. With its centuries of weaponry, it was a favourite attraction, particularly with the fathers and boys. The fusty tang of the stone-walled room filled her nostrils. The suits of armour, chain mail and helmets lined its thick walls, all silent and empty.
But not all the visitors had gone. There was a man at the far end of the room. As the door clicked shut behind her, he turned round and looked at her. If she’d been nervous at confronting a teen thief, that now seemed like a walk in the park. Her heart thudded as loudly as the castle’s antiquated boiler system.
The man held a cutlass in his hand and it was pointed at her.
‘I’m sorry, sir, but if you don’t put down that cutlass, I’m going to have to call Security.’ Miranda forced herself to speak calmly and clearly, as if addressing a group of schoolchildren on a tour of the Mount. Even in a highly stressful situation, especially in a highly stressful situation, it was best to be polite to the visitors, even if this one was brandishing a lethal weapon.
The man smiled. He didn’t look like a psychopath; in fact he looked startlingly handsome in a rakish way as if he’d just swung down from the crow’s nest of a galleon. His thick black hair was trying to escape from a pony tail and he had a tiny goatee beard and a thin gold hoop through his ear. His face was tanned and, while Miranda didn’t think he was much above thirty, he had the world-weary look of someone who’d seen and done, and possibly smoked or inhaled, a lot of stuff. Oh bloody hell, she hoped he wasn’t on something now.
‘And you are?’ he asked, lowering the cutlass and glaring at her as if she were the intruder, not him.
‘I’m the property manager, sir. The castle closed some time ago and,’ she added as goosebumps danced the flamenco along her bare arm, ‘I’m afraid we can’t allow visitors to handle the artefacts.’
Her mouth was dry, her fingers were slick around the leather case of the radio but she was determined to stay calm. She’d opened the emergency channel to the island’s security team as soon as she’d entered the armoury and spotted him so she hoped Ronnie and her deputy could hear her. Sadly, because the CCTV camera wasn’t working, they couldn’t actually see her. This is where ignoring memos would come back to bite her on the bum, thought Miranda as she fought to stay calm. By her calculations, it would only take a few minutes for Ronnie and Reggie to run up the steps and into the armoury, less if one of them was nearby. That was time enough for her to have the situation under control.
The man gave the air an experimental slash.
She swallowed hard. It was also more than enough time for him to turn her into a doner kebab.
Copyright Phillipa Ashley 2012
Posted by Phillipa @ 3:45 am |
October 8, 2012
I’m over at Debs Carr’s Plotting Shed today talking about the way the romantic setting of Miranda’s Mount impacted on the characters and plot.
Thanks for all the brilliant entries in the contest – keep those dream islands coming. Will close the contest on Wednesday evening.
Posted by Phillipa @ 5:39 am |
