#Blogtour #extract: The Little Cottage in the Country by Lottie Phillips @writercharlie @sparklyword

I’m always filled with admiration when authors try their hand at a completely different genre. Recently we’ve seen a few writers better known for romantic comedy (Carol Wyer, Lynda Renham…) writing psychological thrillers, and very successfully. But Charlie Phillips – writing as Lottie Phillips – is doing it the other way round. You might remember her psychological thrillers written under the pseudonym Louise Stone, including the best selling S is for Stranger. But this time it’s romantic comedy – The Little Cottage in the Country was published as an e-book by HQ Digital on 3rd July. I sadly couldn’t find a space to read and review, but very much like the look of it…

Escape to the country!

Anna Compton thought that moving to the countryside, leaving London and her past firmly behind her was the perfect solution. Goodbye life of thirty-something, crazed single mum of two, hello country glamour queen, domestic goddess and yummy-mummy extraordinaire.

But her new life at Primrose Cottage isn’t quite what she expected! Very soon she’s chasing pork pies down hills, disguising her shop-bought cakes at the school bake sale – and trying to resist oh-so-handsome Horatio Spencerville, who just so happens to be the Lord of the Manor…

Could moving to the country be the biggest mistake she’s ever made?

HQ Digital are describing it as perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Holly Martin and Tilly Tennant… shall we try an extract?

Two days later, Anna couldn’t believe she was allowing herself to be fitted out in a white and gold, skin-tight jumpsuit and blonde wig. Diane was fussing around her feet, ensuring the flares fell neatly over her gold heels.

‘Where, dare I ask, do you even find stuff like this?’

‘Linda found this place in Cheltenham. It’s a dream.’

‘Of sorts,’ Anna said, scratching at her hairline. ‘This thing is so itchy, and look…’ She pointed to her costume. ‘I can’t go onstage wearing something this tight. It’s almost indecent.’

‘Sexy is what it is, my friend.’ Diane stood, suddenly a foot shorter than Anna as she was wearing jazz shoes and a Freddie Mercury costume.

‘Remind me again why you’re wearing a Queen costume when we’re singing “Dancing Queen”? Won’t that just confuse everyone?’

Diane grinned. ‘Because when I saw it I realised I could fulfil one of the many things on my bucket list.’

‘To dress up like Freddie Mercury?’

‘To become Freddie Mercury. There’s a massive difference.’

‘How are you going to do that singing Abba?’ Anna sat down, kicking off the heels already threatening to cut the blood flow to her legs.

‘I’ve got a little something up my sleeve. Or should I say, Larry and I have a little something up our sleeves?’

‘Oh God.’ Anna rubbed her feet. ‘Rosie was so right to be ill.’

‘I think it’s genuine,’ said Diane. ‘She sounded devastated on the phone.’

‘I bet she thought her world was going to end,’ Anna said drily.

Freddie and Antonia ran into the kitchen and broke into giggles.

‘This is what I want to be when I’m bigger,’ Freddie said pointing at Diane. ‘Auntie Dee-Dee said I could because my name’s the same.’

Freddie Mercury’s history flashed through Anna’s mind and she smiled. ‘Or you could be a vet. Or a doctor?’ she said hopefully.

‘No, wanna be a rock star and die early.’

Anna looked at Diane who cocked her head on one side and said, ‘You can’t crush a kid’s dream.’

‘Do you want to be like me, Toni?’ Anna said.

‘No, you look silly.’ She skipped from the room, Freddie following close behind before Anna heard Antonia scream.

Anna rushed, barefoot, from the kitchen and found the twins curled up on the floor laughing.

‘Grandma Linda.’ Antonia pointed and Anna looked up the stairs to find her mother dressed in white, knee-high boots, a white dress that came to her knees, and a white cloak with fur wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair had been backcombed within an inch of its life and stood up and out at all angles.

‘Grandma Linda put her finger in the socket,’ said Freddie through his giggles, setting Antonia off again.

Giveaway

Fancy winning a copy? Click HERE for the rafflecopter link, and the chance to win one of three digital copies.

Purchase links

Amazon | Harper Collins | Google Books | Google Play

My thanks to Petra Quelch (​@sparklyword) for inviting me to be part of the tour, and for all the supporting materials.

About the author

Charlie Phillips, writing under the pseudonym Lottie Phillips, worked as a teacher before turning her hand to fiction. She was brought up in Africa and the Middle East and then – as an adult – travelled extensively before moving to London and finally settling in the Cotswolds with her partner and toddler. When she’s not writing, you will find her scouring interior design magazines and shops, striving toward the distant dream of being a domestic goddess or having a glass of wine with country music turned up loud. As a child, she always had her nose in a book and, in particular, Nancy Drew.

The Little Cottage in the Country is Charlie’s debut romantic comedy. 

Readers can find Charlie Phillips on Twitter, or at www.writercharlie.com or www.writerlottiephillips.com.