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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Author Interview
1. Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes
you?
I think that the best answer to this is an anecdote that science fiction writer James Blish tells
about the writing of his famous novella, Surface Tension. Blish had an idea, he wanted to
write about the physics of a glass of water. Being an experienced writer, he knew that his
audience would not share his fascination with that idea, so he grafted on a plotline borrowed
from the Greeks. Surface Tension is a stunning piece of writing. Your heart is in your mouth
as the wooden spaceship reaches for the stars. And no-one, no-one, who has read Surface
Tension will ever forget the physics of a glass of water.
I am not comparing my own writing to the genius of Surface Tension, but my approach is the
same. If I’m incredibly fortunate, the idea which is my Gift from God contains the germ of a
story my reader audience will enjoy. I try that out. Maybe it works. Maybe I have to graft on
a plotline.
For this book, Thanksgiving in Welcombe Bay, the idea was strong enough to carry the story.
It’s an emotive idea. The plotline is simple but suspenseful. Through Love salvation is found.
2. Do you pen down revelations and ideas as you get them,
right then and there?
Absolutely! I have whole notebooks full of story ideas I’ve never written. At one time I had
108 story ideas written down. I made the big mistake of typing those ideas into a spreadsheet
instead of pencilling them onto paper. The wretched machine crashed, and all my work was
lost, not just the ideas, years and years of writing, including 3 full novels.
Nowadays, my notebooks are the kind made of paper and cardboard. Just this morning I had
an idea and wrote it down. Who knows if that will ever become a book?
3. Do you need to be in a specific place or room to write, or you
can just sit in the middle of a café full of people and write?
I can and do write anywhere if an idea strikes me, or when I have a deadline to meet.
But I agree totally with Dorothea Brande. It’s better to write at a specific time and in a
specific place. The quality of your output becomes noticeably higher.
4. How long does it usually take you to write a book?
I write 2 chapters each time I sit down to write, that’s my discipline. So in theory it might
take me a month to write a story. But in practice it takes much, much, longer. Firstly, I
don’t write every day. I don’t even write every week. I wish I could, but there’s just never
enough hours in the day. Secondly, after I’ve written something, I have to let it lie fallow
for a while, and then the edit process begins. My edit is rigorous. I agree with Lew Hunter
that your work needs 9 separate polishes before it’s ready for print. So my edit will take 2
months or longer. Once I’m satisfied, I send my work to beta readers. And within my
story that’s been polished 9 times, my beta readers find a barrelful of flaws. So typically
I’m 2 weeks or more in beta. And then I have to edit all over again. On average, I’d say it
takes me 4 or 5 months to produce a novel.
5. Do bits of yourself/friends show up in your characters?
Of course! We all put part of ourselves into our work, whatever our work happens to
be. As Christians, we are working for the greater glory of God, and how can that not
shine through everything that we do?
The great writers do it consciously and deliberately, but every writer puts something
of his or her selfhood into their writing to some extent, whether s/he is aware of it or
not. For me, it’s completely unconscious at the point of writing, and totally conscious
at the point of editing.
“Ah, yes!” I cry, “Darling Màiri loves San Pellegrino, we know where that comes
from!” “The Major has a hanky ready for her when she needs it, shades of my dear
departed grandfather…” and so on. I love it when I see the derivation of a piece of
descriptive writing during one of my polishes.
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.
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
DONNA WYLAND