Goodness, a new book from Caroline James, and I don’t have a review to share – that really doesn’t feel right at all! Hattie Goes to Hollywood is published today (14th February), available for kindle and in paperback, and available via Amazon in the UK and US. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and ongoing support.
Thanks too to Rachel for not bending my arm up my back when I asked her if she could supply a guest post for today’s post. I’ve always loved Caroline’s books – you’ll find reviews here on Being Anne of Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me, Jungle Rock, and the wonderful The Best Boomerville Hotel (all links are to my reviews). I also have a particularly lovely guest post that Caroline wrote for me back in 2017, on her special place – you can read it again here.
And this is how I say thank you?! I’ll admit it was only the word “mystery” that stopped me reading this one, as I thought she might just have moved over to the dark side – which was really rather ridiculous of me, wasn’t it? For goodness sake, Hattie’s in it, and she’s always been one of my favourite characters! I’ll be catching up on this one later – but, for now, let’s just take a closer look…
A Cumbrian Village… Three suicides… A red-hot summer…
Join super-sleuth Hattie as tempers and temperatures rise in the Cumbrian village of Hollywood. With mischief and shenanigans aplenty, will Hattie discover the truth?
A funny and intriguing mystery – the first in a new series by Caroline James.
When recently bereaved Hattie Mulberry inherits her aunt’s dilapidated cottage in the village of Hollywood in Cumbria, she envisages a quiet life. But retired hotelier Hattie is bored and when her neighbour asks her to investigate a suspicious suicide, Hattie’s career takes a new direction and H&H Investigations is born.
During the hottest summer for years, Hattie discovers there have been three recent suicides in Hollywood and she determines to find out why. Temperatures rise as she throws herself into village life and, with mischief and shenanigans aplenty, Hattie has her work cut out. But will she establish the truth?
I’m delighted to welcome Caroline as my guest (and I think she’s forgiven me!) to tell us more…
Hattie is back.
Three words that haunt me.
I was happily writing a follow-up to my novel, The Best Boomerville Hotel, when something happened. The words stopped and the ink dried up. No matter how long I stared at the page, I couldn’t move the story along. All I could hear in my head, like a soundtrack that had got stuck, was, ‘Hattie is back’.
Hattie is a female character who likes to appear in my books. She’s large, she brassy and she’s bold and no matter how much I try and write her out, she is still bounding into stories and appearing as large as life. A character who refuses to go away.
Eventually, I gave in and Boomerville Two got the elbow for the time being. If Hattie was so persistent, then all I needed to do was write her out of my system. Surely? So, I decided to write the first in a new series of mystery stories, with Hattie as the lead character, the Miss Marple of Hollywood, the Cumbrian village where she lives. Hattie Goes To Hollywood was born and suddenly the words started to flow again and a story landed on the page. I enjoyed writing the story so much that before I’d written The End, I found that another book was already in my head and Hattie & the Heirloom is now tripping off the keyboard too. Hattie will also be setting sail in Hattie & the Cruise.
But will I get tired of Hattie again? Will Hattie become a victim of the crimes she investigates? Will I kill her off? Only you, dear reader, can decide and Hattie’s life is now in your hands.
Happy reading everyone and I hope you enjoy Hattie Goes To Hollywood.
Big thanks, as ever, to lovely Anne for hosting me on her wonderful blog.
Caroline xx
Yes, I’m sure she’s forgiven me… thank you Caroline!
Giveaway
Win a cuddly Drake toy! (open internationally). Be in with a chance to win Drake, Hattie’s faithful pet duck! Tall Drake & Handsome – A gorgeous soft toy who will be your friend for life. Here’s the rafflecopter for entry:
Terms and Conditions Worldwide entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
About the author
Best-selling author of women’s fiction, Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that often features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, which includes talks and lectures on cruise ships world-wide, Caroline is also a consultant and food writer. She is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association, the Society of Women’s Writer’s & Journalists and the Society of Authors and writes articles and short stories, contributing to many publications. In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.
Caroline has an excellent website, and can also be found on Twitter and Facebook. You can find all her books via her Amazon Author Page.
As ever Anne, thanks for your ongoing support, it is hugely appreciated. Thanks for hosting me on the first day of the blog tour for Hattie Goes To Hollywood. Happy reading everyone and lots of love, Caroline xx