But I Smile Anyway…

Loving this series!

Today, I am thrilled to welcome Kim Nash, a fantastic author, and writer friend of mine, to chat about her latest release, Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove.

Today, I am thrilled to welcome amazing author Kim Nash to my blog for a cuppa and a bit of a chat about all things writerly, especially her latest release, Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove.

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Kim! Let’s get you set with a drink, first. Now would you prefer a coffee of some sort? Or maybe a cup of tea, or would you like to be brave and have a traditional homemade Indian masala tea?

If we’re going masala tea, then I can bust out the samosas and pakoras (fried potato and vegetable fritters), but I do have biscuits, and cake. (Might not be as delicious as Gemma’s offerings, but I can try!

Let’s go with masala tea then. I’ve never tried it, but hey, life is about trying new things – yes? I do love a coffee, but you got me with samosas and pakoras.  Although I’m a sucker for biscuits and cake, too (especially lemon drizzle!)

I promise I’ll ease you in gently, with a mild masala chai, then!

Right. So, let’s get started! You’ve been a busy bee, over the last few years, with your writing. No less than six published novels under your belt! And all pretty much amazing books, from what I have read. (Three down, three on my Kindle waiting for me to read!) I know you have a love for Women’s Fiction. What drove you to write in that direction?

Women’s Fiction is my favourite genre.  Those books with humour, too, even more so.  I grew up reading Shirley Conran’s Lace (I’ve never looked at goldfish in the same way!), (Oh my goodness, me too! 😳 ) Jilly Cooper books (wow!) and Danielle Steele which were a lot less racy but so very emotional. My mom often came into me in the middle of the night to tell me off for reading late and then ended up having to give me a hug because I was sobbing my heart out.  Then I really found my place with books by Carole Matthews, Jill Mansell, Katie Fforde, Jane Green, Lisa Jewell, Isabel Wolfe etc. That was when I realised that was the sort of book that, if ever got round to writing one, would be what I would choose to write. 

How bout you Ritu?

Well, for a start, I think I grew up with a lot of the same authors as you. My mum was a Barbara Taylor Bradford and Virginia Andrews fan, too, and an aunt who lived with us was a Danielle Steele fan, who left many of her books with us! And I carried on reading, many of those same authors as you, as I grew up, too. As for my writing genre, I struggle to pigeon hole it, to be honest, as there is contemporary there, rom com, cultural, or desi fiction, issues that would be more women’s fiction, as well as moral issues that a writer friend of mine described as literary. All I know is that there is lots to find, in my stories, but why I write them? Because I wanted to be able to read stories with more characterss like me, too. Stories that I could relate to, as a British Indian woman, but something that anyone could read, as entertainment, and also maybe a little educational, too.

Have you ever wanted to try and write in a different genre? I know it scares the bejesus out of me! (Even though I seem to be stretching myself in single books, instead!)

Oh me too! I couldn’t write historical fiction because I don’t have the time or the patience for all the research, although I LOVE to read them.  I couldn’t write a crime or psychological thriller because I’d scare myself to death. I couldn’t write erotic stories because when I read them I find myself pulling funny faces and concentrating too much about what body bits are going where (like a game of Twister!)  I have considered writing a cosy crime which I might try at some point but I’m rubbish at working out a whodunnit so maybe the crime would never get solved. I do like uplifting feel-good fiction that I write now, so I’m not planning to move out of my comfort zone yet.  I’m trying masala tea, that’s enough of something new for me. LOL!

Well, that’s a start, at least, Kim!

Where do you like to write?  Do you have a writing room at home, or are you a nomadic writer, taking your notebook and pen, or laptop to different places?

I’m a bit rubbish at writing from home.  There’s always something else to do that distracts me and I’m the Queen of Procrastination! I do have a writing area set up in my garden room.  (That sounds posher than it is but it does overlook the garden!) I have candles and fairy lights and try to make it feel different from my working space.  I work from home too, so it’s quite difficult to separate the two for me.  And when your fifteen-year-old is standing next to you trying really hard to do as many keepy-uppies as possible and the dog launching himself at the window because he’s seen a squirrel or barking excessively when someone has the audacity to walk down the street, it’s not easy when you are trying to be creative.

I love to get away from home (wonder why! See above!)  For instance, as I write this, I’m staying in my friend’s house in Wales and I’m looking over the bay and am actually drifting off quite a bit just staring into the distance.  I love a writing retreat with writing pals.  A lodge in the countryside, overlooking water if possible, is perfect for me.

Where’s your favourite writing spot?

The writing retreat sounds idyllic, Kim! But, right now, it is tough for me to be away from home, due to more personal reasons. Thaat being said, I have my own writing room/reading nook in our house, which is so cosy, and in the summer, I can set up in the conservatorywhere I get a lovely view of our garden, as long as the sun is out! I’m blessed to be in the heart of a village in Kent, so the peace is wonderful.

Is there any one of your books that has a special place in your heart? I know that is a toughie as they are all our book babies, aren’t they?

It is really tough.  Amazing Grace, my debut, I suppose is the most special because I wrote it after my Mom died so there’s a lot of me in it.  It’s about a woman who is grieving the loss of her Mom.  Can you see where the inspiration came from? LOL! Mom was a huge reader and I would have loved her to see her daughter become an author. I hope she’d be proud.  (I didn’t know your mum, Kim, but I can guarantee she would bee proud of all you have achieved. 🤗)

I have loved all my books in their own way though.  The two Muddleford books because they’re based on Mudeford where I spent a lot of my childhood holidays, and Sunshine and Second Chances because it’s about women of a *ahem* certain age going on holiday together and inspiring each other to be the best versions of themselves that they can be and finding their own happy.  And finally Escape to Giddywell Grange which is about redundancy and how it can affect you both mentally as well as physically. 

I always think that those ‘hard to talk about’ issues, are great to use in our books, because there are plenty of people ot there probably in similar situations, and even if they cannot talk about it, they can read, and recognise situations, making them feel less alone. And the book can be a great vehicle for opening conversations about difficult topics.

Let’s get back to your latest release, Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove. Meredith, your main character is someone I feel many women could relate to. A certain age, with some responsibilities diminishing, and other problems raising their heads. But her impromptu purchase… now, that was a biggie! Have you ever done something like that?

Not really anything like that, but I am quite impulsive. I’m very black and white in my thinking.  You either want something or you don’t, so I not really a ditherer.  My ex for instance used to spend hours and hours researching for a new car.  I’d ask what colour they were and pick the one that was my favourite colour. That’s my sort of decision making.

Oh, my goodness. Kim, were we cut from the same cloth? My decision process iss pretty much like that, too, while my husband can take three months to decide which restaurant he wants to go to! 😂

Many of your books are set in beautifully picturesque settings. Are they all places you have visited yourself?

They are although I haven’t been to Cornwall for years.  It’s just so flipping far from where I live (Staffordshire) and the thought of wasting, I mean spending five hours at least in a car driving somewhere gives me the heebie-jeebies.  Think of how much other stuff I could do in that time. Sunshine and Second Chances is set in The Algarve which is somewhere I adore.  And Mudeford, where Muddleford is based on, has a very special place in my heart from childhood.  

In this book we had Gladys, the gorgeous Labrador belonging to Vi. I do love a pet in a book. Do you have a furry muse at home, who helps you with your writing?

I do have a hairy hound at home, but I’m not sure he’s my muse! But he is gorgeous and I adore him.  Roni is an English Setter who was rescued from Greece by a charity and we adopted him about 5 years ago.  He just sighs a lot when I ask him to help me with a plot hole and he’s not really that up for helping with promotion either, as you can see from the photo here!

Oh, such a cutie!

I must tell you I devoured your latest offering in pretty much a day, because it was a story filled with hope and positivity. Will there be any more from Meredith and the gang, or is your next project something totally different?

I’m currently away editing Book 2 in the Driftwood Bay series, which follows Hopeful Hearts in the Cornish Cove.  It will be out in October and will be Gemma’s story.  Then Book 3 will be out next Spring and will be the story from someone else that you’ve already met, but I’m not ready to divulge who yet! 

Care to guess Ritu?  Or is there anyone you’d like to read more about?

Meredith’s mother, possibly? Well, now I am all excited at the thought of two more books to follow this!

Now, I hope you enjoyed the masala chai, and pakoras, Kim! And, thank you for popping over for a chat with me, it’s been a blast!

Thank you for inviting me, Ritu.

My pleasure 😊

Peeps, you can read the blurb for Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove, and my review, below!

Purchase links follow.

The Blurb

A perfect new start in Cornwall…

Meredith’s life is at a standstill. She’s stuck in a dead-end job, approaching fifty, and her dating life is a string of disasters. But one evening, while browsing the internet, she sees an ad for a lighthouse, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she makes a ridiculous bid for it.

With the help of local handyman Clem, she sets about renovating. And as they work together, a bond begins to form. But when Meredith finds out that Clem is keeping a secret from her, it changes everything. Will they find a way to build something more meaningful together?

A delightful story about community, friendship and having the courage to start over, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Milly Johnson and Lucy Dillon

Available in ebook, paperback and audiobook

UK: https://amzn.to/3Yr7Q7u 

US: https://amzn.to/3RMdPSb

My Review

Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s been a while since I stepped into the gorgeous worlds created by Kim Nash and her characters, and I truly enjoyed this foray to the Cornish coast!
Meredith made a bit of a drunken decision to purchase a lighthouse, miles away from the rest of her life, to have a fresh start, a project, and to put some distance between her and her old life that, apart from her best friend, seemed to have begun to stagnate.
Well, what can I say? There are always dubious purchases made with the aid of alcohol when you aren’t feeling yourself, and when she arrives at her new, unviewed, apart from some stylised photos, home, she is in for a shock.
And the shocks don’t start there, but at the local supermarket, where she encounters rude locals that get her back up from the off.
I will not go into the story, as what would be the point of you reading it if I was just to regurgitate it here, but I will say that you won’t want to put it down once you start reading!
Meredith is a character who will resonate with many women, especially those of a certain age. She had a fire in her belly that was dampened by her previous life, but the sea and sea air might have just reignited it rather than put it out completely!
There are many characters to keep you wanting to read, not least Vi, who I think is an amazing woman. What a character! And her dog, Gladys, is just adorable!
Meredith has old friends, but the new ones she makes as she begins what feels like a thankless task of renovating and restoring her purchase are a choice bunch.
But there are always that core of locals who ‘hate’ newcomers. She has her work cut out, I’ll tell you.
And, of course, there’s Clem… A brooding, moody man who ends up rather helpful in many ways. But will he be the one who helps her realise she is not just a middle-aged woman undeserving of a fresh start romantically as well as generally?
The restoration of the lighthouse was fascinating to read about, too, and just reading the descriptions makes me want to go and stay in one right now!
A wonderful read from start to finish!

Author Bio

Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and has wanted to write books since she was a little girl. She has recently signed a 3-book deal with Boldwood Books and Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove is the first book in a series of books set in the fictional seaside village of Driftwood Bay in Cornwall.

She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and is a book blogger at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk.

When she’s not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog at Cannock Chase, reading, writing and binge-watching box sets on the TV. She’s also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Staffordshire and organises local and national reader/author events.

Sign up to Kim’s newsletter at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk

Connect with Kim on Social Media here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm

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Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kim_the_bookworm

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kimthebookworm