My guest this week is Helen Bridgett who writes for Ruby Fiction. Her latest novel Christmas at Serenity Bay is released on 16 November 2021. Today she is going to tell us why she envies Chloe, the heroine of the book and can I just say that I envy Chloe too. Over to Helen …
First of all, I’d just like to say thank you for inviting me onto your blog, Morton. You’ve had some fabulous authors on here and I’m delighted to appear alongside them.
My latest novel – Christmas at Serenity Bay launches on 16th November 2021 and the main character is a lady called Chloe Walsh. She has recently moved up to a small village on the beautiful Northumberland coast and is doing her best to make it a great place for film and TV shoots.
When I started to think about this question – what do I envy about Chloe? – I realised there was actually quite a lot to talk about!
First of all, I envy where she lives.
I have lived all over the UK and recently moved back to the North East of England. I’ve always known that the coastline was spectacular but now I walk it several times a week with my dog and I truly appreciate it at all times of the year.
The bays go on for miles and they’re usually quite empty, the sand is like velvet under your feet and the waves were built for surfing and kayaking.
And don’t let me start on the sky! I don’t think there is as much sky anywhere as there is up here – it is vast and so atmospheric. Whether it’s a sunny day or a stormy one, the sky is a picture any artist would want to paint.
Although I don’t live far from the coast, Chloe lives on the seafront and gets to see the magnificent sunrises – even writing this makes me want to move house right now!
The second thing I envy about Chloe is her job.
She’s a location scout and works to attract film and TV companies to the area. A friend of mine once told me that her son was a location scout and I thought it must be a really fascinating job – you must get to see some extraordinary places. Just imagine being asked to find a stately home for a period drama or a remote island for a murder mystery.
It must make you see the world through a different lens and I think that would be fabulous. Chloe only works within Serenity but she has film crews arriving on her doorstep. I used to work in advertising and loved being on location. You were really part of a team, everyone knowing their small role in this production. We worked long hours but it was great fun.
Thirdly, I envy Chloe being able to go sea kayaking.
Chloe’s boyfriend is a kayak instructor so he could take her out on the waves every day. I love the idea of kayaking around the islands off our coastline and seeing the dolphins and seals that live here. I’m sure I would be absolutely terrified of any huge waves but I’d give it a go. I’ve tried kayaking on rivers and it really is quite tranquil, just gliding through the water. I imagine being out at sea, perhaps as the sun is setting, would truly feel like serenity.
Thank you for joining me this week, Helen. Your book sounds most intriguing and I must visit Northumberland again very soon. Mx
About Helen Bridgett
Having failed miserably with every New Year’s resolution that involved diets, one year, Helen Bridgett set herself a completely different goal – to write a novel and give it as a Christmas present. Having written one, she couldn’t stop!
All Helen’s novels feature strong female leads who are faced with situations that they have to resolve. Her goal is to create characters that you would want to get to know better in real life.
Her first novel, The Mercury Travel Club featured laugh-out-loud characters who took on a life of their own resulting in the sequel, The Heat is On. Then, in 2020 a new set of characters took up the main stage in Summer at Serenity Bay – a fictional village on the glorious Northumberland coast. These characters are back on November 16th for Christmas at Serenity Bay.
As well as feel-good fiction, Helen also writes crime. January 2021 saw the publication of Helen’s debut crime novel – One by One – featuring Professor Maxie Reddick. The second in the series – Wrong Sort of Girl – was published by Ruby Fiction in October.
Outside of writing, Helen loves being outdoors walking with her chocolate Labrador or enjoying a glass of wine and banter with friends.
You can follow Helen on
Twitter – www.twitter.com/Helen_Bridgett
Facebook – www.facebook.com/HelenBridgettBooks
About Christmas at Serenity Bay
A peaceful Christmas in Serenity Bay? Think again!
Chloe Walsh’s skills as location manager for the beautiful seaside village she calls home have come up trumps again, and Serenity Bay is now the setting for cosy crime drama The Montgomery Mysteries, starring amateur sleuth Dominic Montgomery and his crime-solving dog, Agatha.
But Chloe is in a race against time. Filming has to finish before the village Midwinter Festival but schedules are tight – and a mystery saboteur is intent on slowing things down even further. Not only is Chloe facing problems with the shoot, she also has some personal conundrums to solve – a diva actor has commandeered her flat, her mum is having a late mid-life crisis, plus she has no idea what to buy for her Christmas-obsessed boyfriend!
Can Chloe sort out her life and save Christmas for an entire village?
To order Christmas in Serenity Bay you can use the following link here
Morton Gray News – The ebook of my Christmas book Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe is currently available at 99p/c on this link
Thank you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
International Bestseller Summer at Lucerne Lodge was published as an eBook on 20 April 2021 and now available as a paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
International Bestseller Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Bestseller Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also as a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms –Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
Morton S. Gray - Author 
Sounds a most interesting novel, Helen and I love the idea of being a Location Scout. Like you, I think it must be a most fascinating job.
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