Review of Spring on the Little Cornish Isles by Phillipa Ashley - Five **

And a VERY special treat!! See below:


Blurb

Fans of Jill Mansell and Carole Matthews will love this gorgeous new book from the author of the bestselling Cornish Café series.

Jess has lived at the idyllic flower farm on the Isles of Scilly her whole life, but when her boyfriend Adam leaves without explanation, Jess discovers that even her little slice of Cornish heaven can be lonely.

For the first time in Will’s life, he’s met someone he can’t stop thinking about. But nothing is simple when the woman of your dreams is working for you.

Gaby is running away from painful memories, and where could be more perfect than a remote island off the Cornish coast? But to put the past behind her, she must keep moving … however much she might want to stay.

Nothing is simple, even on paradise. Will love bloom for the residents of the little Cornish Isles?

Review:

Oh how I love Phillipa's books and this series is the best so far! I thought several times that she would make a great travel writer, so lovely are the descriptions of the Scilly Isles. The characters are strong and I learned so much about flower production. I'm deeply appreciative of all the flower growers do - I rush out to buy daffs in January!

I love series because we can catch up with characters and places in previous books. And this was no exception.

Absolutely gorgeous book and can't wait for Summer!!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And now for the treat! 

Phillipa has kindly agreed to share her writing tips with us and here is Part 1. Part 2 will follow in Charlotte's blog https://wp.me/p8iigH-1aE on 4th March :)

MY TOP TIPS

FOR WRITING A NOVEL

I can hardly believe that Spring on the Little Cornish Isles: the Flower Farm is my 16^th published novel. I well remember the days when I was struggling to write my debut, Decent Exposure in 2005/6 and couldn’t imagine how authors wrote more than one book!

Now I know. Eventually, experience and practice does pay off. You hone your skills, gain confidence in your writing voice and learn which techniques help you to complete a book and fix any issues. I was very lucky that my debut was eventually completed and published by Hachette. It went on to win the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon prize for Debut Authors and was made into a TV movie.

I’ve now been an author for over 13 years and I’m still on a journey, rather than at my destination.So, for what it’s worth, here are a few tips for getting started and finishing your novel.

1.         Don’t take any notice of writing tips… Every writer is unique and the most important thing is to develop your own voice and a writing process that works for you. Don’t be fooled by claims on websites that you can produce a novel in a day/a week/while watching a box set and flipping pancakes by simply downloading this Foolproof Amazing Guide for only $399.

2.         If you do take any notice of writing tips, make sure they are from authors whose work you admire and who have a well-established track record of publishing success, either with reputable publishers or as a well-proven independent (self) publisher. They should all tell you that your work will need to be edited. Anyone who claims their work doesn’t need editing – steer clear!

3.         Write as often as you can. You will probably have to give up other things to do this: cleaning, eating etc – but like a professional athlete, sacrifices will have to be made until you achieve your goal and thereafter until you can afford to employ a butler.

4.         Don’t give up the day job. Not yet… and possibly not ever.

5.         Read widely within the genre you are writing and outside of it. I read plenty of romantic novels but I also love historical adventure and non-fiction. Nowadays, my time and attention span are limited after a day spent at the screen so I tend to read in short bursts, enjoy short stories or read newspapers and magazines.

Amazon UK