Hello Lovelies,

Today I have an interview with Emma Burstall, author of the soon to be released Tremarnock Summer, book 3 in the series.  One to definitely to pre-order, published by Head of Zeus on 05/10/217.

Kelly xoxo

Book Jacket

Bramble Challoner has had a very normal upbringing. She lives in a semi in the suburbs of London with her parents and works at the call centre down the road. She still goes out with the boy she met at school. At weekends they stay in and watch films on the telly and sometimes hold hands. Bramble is dying for an adventure.

So when her very grand grandfather, Lord Penrose, dies, leaving his huge, rambling house in Cornwall to her, Bramble packs her bags immediately, dragging along her best friend Katie. The sleepy village of Tremarnock had better be ready for its newest residents…

Emma Burstall ~ ‘Real You’ ~ Interview 

Describe yourself using three words?

Honest, friendly, family-oriented.

What inspired you to write your first novel?  

Funnily enough, it was joining a local gym after the birth of my youngest. I met so many lovely women there from different walks of life and chatted with them over coffee instead of working out! They all seemed to have great stories to tell, and gradually something exciting began to take shape. Sadly, it wasn’t my physique…

What time of day do you like to write?

I like mornings best when I feel at my freshest. I usually start when my youngest leaves for school, have a break for lunch, then finish around the time he gets home.

What is your favourite book and why?

This is such a difficult one but if I have to choose, I think I’d say Bleak House by Charles Dickens. I first read it in my late teens/early twenties and was blown away by the memorable characters, gripping plot and the author’s compassion and profound understanding of human nature. For me, you need all these ingredients to create a really satisfying novel.

How did you pick the title of your book?

You wouldn’t believe how hard it can be to come up with a cracking title because so many have been taken already. Choosing Tremarnock Summer wasn’t so difficult, though, because I wanted to convey a warm, romantic, summery feel and also remind readers who enjoyed my previous books that this is a continuation of the series.

Are the characters in your book based on real people?  

No, but there are probably some elements of real people in the mix. It would be difficult not to bring your own experiences into your writing sometimes.

What’s your favourite word?  

Mellifluous. I love it, it sounds so smooth and silky, like a gorgeous massage.

If you were a colour what would it be?  

Crushed mulberry.

Do you plan your story beforehand or go with the flow?

I plan, to the extent that I know before I begin writing who my characters are, roughly what will happen to them and how the novel will end. But I don’t plan every chapter so there’s plenty of wiggle room. I prefer it that way. Sometimes things happen which I wasn’t expecting. It’s all part of the fun.

Who is your favourite Author?  

Charles Dickens, as above. A master storyteller.

You are attending a dinner party with four fictitious book characters who would they be and why?

Mary Poppins, because you never know what would happen, Dr Zhivago, because he’s clever and gorgeous, Sherlock Holmes, for his brilliance, eccentricity and violin playing and Winnie the Pooh, to make us all laugh. I’d be very sorry to have to leave out Captain Poldark, though. Can’t I squeeze him in as well?!

What book are you reading at the moment?

A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman. It’s my book club book.

Where in the world is your happy place?

At the moment it’s a beautiful meadow full of wild flowers by the river Thames near my house, where you can swim and sunbathe on a warm day. It’s very quiet, safe and you can go from one side of the river to the other and hang onto the willow branches that dangle in the water. Hardly anyone seems to visit, and sometimes I have the place all to myself.

If you had one superpower what would it be?

I’d like to be able to time travel, so long as I knew I could get back safely.

If you could give any literary villain a happy ending who would you choose?

I’d make the evil Alec D’Urberville from Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles see the error of his ways and make things all right for Tess before it’s too late. Instead of dying, he’d become a social justice campaigner and travel around the country helping to improve people’s lives, especially the lives of women.

Are you working on a new project?  

Yes! I’m thrilled to say that I’ve just a signed a new, three book deal with my publisher, Head of Zeus. I’m busy on the fourth novel in my Tremarnock series, and there will be two more after that.

You can pre order below and have a sneak peek of the book ~

You can also read the other books in the series too ~

Tremarnock: The Lives, Loves and Secrets of a Cornish Village (Tremarnock Series Book 1) ~ Click to order book 1.

The Cornish Guest House  ~ (Tremarnock Series Book 2) ~ Click to order.

Many thanks to Emma Burstall and Head of Zeus publishing for stopping by today.

Before you go please check out our sneak peek of The Court of Lions by Jane Johnson.

CLICK TO READ

 

For more Head Of Zeus, titles visit ~ Website

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