About the Book
Book: Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay
Author: Kate Darroch
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release date: October 29, 2023
The story of an alcoholic former journalist, Eric, who is trying to straighten out his life and give up drinking, and Lily, a woman haunted by memories of domestic abuse, who meet and miracle in gorgeous Welcombe Bay. Both are coping with serious life problems, and neither is looking for romance. But lasting love is looking for them. Can these broken souls overcome their emotional and financial challenges, and help each other to heal through the transformative power of their love and faith?
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About the Author
Kate Darroch lives on the picturesque Devon coastline, where she combines her passion for cozy sleuths and her experiences of life as it’s lived in many countries to create compelling Travel Cozies.
Màiri Maguire, a Scots Irish teacher from 1970s Glasgow, heroine of debut novel, “Death in Paris”, has earned Kate many international book awards, including Readers Favorite Gold Medal for Humor, consolidating her reputation as a notable author. Kate hopes her readers will enjoy Màiri’s adventures as much as she enjoys Father Brown, Sherlock Holmes, and that old, old movie, the Perils of Pauline.
Next, Kate created Huntingdon Hart, a dry, witty, prescient, multi-millionaire, tongue-in-cheek cross between James Bond and Sherlock Holmes, who’s in love with a much older woman.
Kate’s most recent work is the Christian Second Chance for Lasting Love series, Sweets By the Sea, a saga of Recovery and Redemption; which her readers say is even sweeter than Màiri’s adventures.
More from Kate
If you want incident-crammed stories that seamlessly integrate Christian values, you’re in the right place. Why is that? Because my own Christian faith is a seamless part of my life. How can you separate everyday life and faith? Don’t ask me, because I can’t.
I wrote Màiri Maguire to make people laugh during a dark time; and I wrote Eric and Lily to give hope and understanding to the families of addicts in recovery, to shine a light on thought processes and emotions which are opaque to most of us; and which those of us with a friend or loved one in recovery would like to understand better. Because I’m a storyteller, not a counsellor, I also tried to tell you a story that would make you both laugh and cry, a story worth taking time to enjoy. I hope that you will decide to spend a little time with Eric and Lily, and that you will find the expenditure of your time to be worthwhile.
Author Interview
- Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I am blessed to hear from my readers all the time! They write to me in spontaneous response to things I’ve said in my newsletter, and every now and then someone says that s/he can’t get a particular book of mine where they live or asks when an upcoming book will be available. If I’ve asked a question about reader preferences then I get literally thousands of responses; and when I am ill (sadly, very often) and when my son was very ill – thankfully he’s now recovered – readers pray for me and my family. Literally thousands of my readers are praying for me, and that’s a wonderful comfort when I’m feeling down. They write to tell me so, to offer medical advice, and simply to share their day with me the same way they would with a real-world friend. And of course to talk about my books.
- Do you read the genre you write?
One genre I write is Cozy Mystery and I love reading Father Brown, Sherlock Holmes, Ellery Queen, Black Widowers, Nero Wolfe, all the classics.
Another of my genres is spoofs and send-ups. I have a lot of fun writing those, and I love reading send-ups, or watching spoof TV shows/films.
My current book, Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay, is Women’s Fiction. I enjoy Roxanne Rustand’s Women’s Fiction books, there’s a sweetness to them I really like. There’s also a lot of crossover between Women’s Fiction and ChickLit. Some books are a meld between the two, like the Little Lady books, and I enjoy reading those. I’m afraid that there isn’t any philosophical or craftly reason why I read the books I do, I read for entertainment or to obtain information. I re-read old favorites when I’m ill.
- What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
Lew Hunter, in a wonderful book about screenwriting, now out of print, quotes the writer’s mantra “writing is re-writing” and gives marvellous advice about self editing your work. He says that your pages need 9 separate polishes before anyone else lays eyes on them. I agree with him. And I will mention a stunning editing tool called Marlowe. Marlowe doesn’t tell me how to write, as human editors tend to, it tells me what I’ve written. The number of adjectives or adverbs. Sentences that are very long, or convoluted. Which famous writer’s style is most similar to mine – and what the similarities are. Objective, helpful assessments. I love Marlowe.
- How did you come up with the title for your book?
Nick Stevenson, bless him, gave me valuable advice when I was trying to find a good title for my debut novel, Death in Paris, which has won 15 international book awards, including the 2022 Incipere Best Christian Fiction award. I was leaning towards Taxed Beyond Her Strength and Nick explained why that was a bad title for my Cozy, and all about genre expectations. I applied what he taught me in selecting the title for Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay, my Christian Women’s Fiction book about recovery and redemption with a second chance at lasting love, set in a small seaside resort on the glorious Devon coastline, which won the 2023 Incipere Best Christian Fiction award. The story takes place during the Brit equivalent of Thanksgiving, Harvest Festival.
- Do you participate in writing challenges on social media?
Sometimes, when a topic speaks to me. From one challenge prompt I got All Souls Night in Glasgow, which introduces Granny, a character my readers love. From another I got Weather Report Washington: Hot, Heavy Showers Possible which was the harbinger of the Huntingdon Hart Investigates series. I don’t participate often, but when I do, the prompt always sparks a story that I’m happy with.
Blog Stops
Stories By Gina, June 22 (Author Interview)
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 23
Artistic Nobody, June 24 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, June 24
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 25
Guild Master, June 26 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, June 27
For the Love of Literature, June 28 (Author Interview)
Locks, Hooks and Books, June 29
By The Book, June 30 (Author Interview)
An Author’s Take, July 1
Blossoms and Blessings, July 2 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 3
A Reader’s Brain, July 4 (Author Interview)
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, July 5 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, July 5
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Kate is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and an eBook copy of the four books in the series: Cookies & Eggnog from Welcombe Bay, Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay, Christmas in Welcombe Bay and New Beginnings in Welcombe Bay!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2c06e/thanksgiving-in-welcombe-bay-celebration-tour-giveaway