About New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay and an Extract by Georgia Hill

This week we have a return visit from my friend Georgia Hill, as she prepares to launch her new novel New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay published on 19 February 2024 by Bloodhound Books.

Huge thanks to Morton for allowing me on her blog yet again!

This February, as well as looking forward to longer days and warmer weather, I’m celebrating a new release. If you liked New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage and enjoyed spending time in the little seaside town of Lullbury Bay, why not return for a summer love story?

My new series of books are set in west Dorset in a town which is based on Lyme Regis, West Bay and Bridport all mushed up. The next book, New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay, began life as a long short story (if that makes sense). I had about twenty thousand words based around a florist and a mysterious order but I hadn’t established the setting or how it would pan out. It lingered in a file marked New Ideas on the computer for some time before I knew what I was going to do with it. Daisy appeared briefly in New Beginnings at Christmas Tree Cottage when she was selling Christmas greenery at the craft fayre and I thought it was time she had her story. So, Va Va Bloom Florists, workaholic Daisy, Mia the Saturday girl and the monster that is Marion were born.

In it, florist Daisy receives an order to deliver very specific flowers each month over the summer to an empty house on the edge of town. The mystery gets everyone who works in the shop highly intrigued and they’re soon speculating over who the enigmatic Walter (as they name him) who placed the order, might be. The only thing they know about him is he’s an elderly widower.

I love writing about small communities and those who are at the heart of them. What better choice of heroine than a florist? Florists are there at all the most important times in people’s lives. I also love flowers (who doesn’t?). I love seeing them growing in the garden and there’s nothing better than receiving a surprise bouquet of cut flowers as I did last week.

I knew red roses are associated with love and romance and A-Level study of Hamlet (a very long time ago) told me rosemary is for remembrance but that’s as far as my flower and plant knowledge went. Mia, the hard-working Saturday girl at Va Va Bloom, is far more informed. She’s studied the Lingua Flora, the language of flowers. All educated Victorian misses would be familiar with this, think of it as sort of series of emojis, but the knowledge has now largely been lost. Instead of me going on, let Mia explain in this extract from the book:

***

‘I was nearly late for May’s order,’ Daisy admitted. ‘He wanted lilac.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s not something I get many requests for, to be honest. I had to ring round like crazy to get it filled in time. Had to get in touch with a French supplier. That’s the only place I could get it. The cold weather this spring affected the UK’s stocks apparently.’

‘Lilac?’ Mia asked sharply.

‘Yes, why?’

‘You know what it means, don’t you?’

‘It has a meaning?’ Daisy stared blankly. She hadn’t a clue what Mia was on about.

‘Love’s first emotions,’ Mia said dreamily. She sighed. ‘That’s so lush.’

Jan joined her daughter in staring at the girl.

Mia gazed back at them, misty eyed. ‘That’s what it means,’ she explained. ‘Love’s First Emotions.’

Daisy leaned against the shop counter. ‘You’re going to have to expand on that statement.’

‘In the nineteenth century the Victorians believed every flower symbolised something. You know, the language of flowers. Lingua Flora. It’s well cool. Lilac stood for first love. No Victorian lady would receive just a bunch of flowers, she’d read into the messages symbolised by the flowers. Just as no Victorian guy would give any old bouquet, it would be made up to reflect what he wanted to put over. It was a way of making his true feelings known if he couldn’t get past the crusty old chaperone. It wasn’t just for lovey-dovey romantic couples, either. A girl could reject some hopeless bloke, or someone could say how disappointed she was in a friend.’ Mia warmed to her theme. ‘It was literally a language. Even how the ribbon was tied was symbolic; to the left meant the message was about the sender, to the right it was about the person receiving it. An upside-down stem meant the opposite of the bouquet’s message and if you left thorns on the roses it said there was everything to fear. It was all amazingly complicated and subtle. Pretty cool, eh? And the Victorians would have known all the meanings, right down to the teeny tiniest nuance.’ There was a stunned silence. She gazed at the two bemused faces staring at her. ‘What? Oh my eggs Daisy, didn’t you know flowers had meanings?’

***

Gradually Daisy and Mia realise Walter, with each monthly order, is telling a love story in the Victorian language of flowers. And, as the novel progresses, Daisy finds herself with a chance of love for herself.

My favourite flowers are snowdrops. I love the plucky way they force themselves through the frozen earth at this time of year. A sure sign spring can’t be too far away. Also known as Fair Maids of February or Candlemas Belles, Mia would tell you they represent consolation and hope. And did you know galantamine, a substance extracted from snowdrop bulbs, is used in treating Alzheimer’s? Amazing little flowers!

I had great fun finding out about flowers and their meanings – and make them fit into the plot and their growing season but I’ll never look at another bunch of flowers in quite the same way again! Information about the language of flowers is readily available online but I also found this book useful and a real pleasure to read. You can see it’s been well-thumbed as it’s become a bit battered.

This book also owes a debt of gratitude to actor Jonathan Bailey on whom I developed a massive crush while glued to Bridgerton. Those who read New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay may well recognise customer Rick’s thick dark hair and eyes permanently brimming with humour. What can I say, a writer has to have her muse!

I loved writing the book and spending time with the locals in Lullbury Bay. Just be aware, when you receive your next bouquet of flowers, that a thorny upside-down rose might not be quite the romantic gesture you think it is!

About Georgia Hill

Georgia Hill writes warm-hearted and up-lifting contemporary and dual narrative romances about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. There’s always a dog. It’s usually a naughty spaniel of which, unfortunately, she has had much experience. She lives near the sea with her beloved dogs and husband (also beloved) and loves the books of Jane Austen, collecting elephants, and Strictly Come Dancing. She’s also a complete museum geek and finds inspiration for her books in the folklore and history of the many places in which she’s lived. She’s worked in the theatre, for a charity and as a teacher and educational consultant before finally acknowledging that making things up was what she really wanted to do. She’s been happily creating believable heroines, intriguing men, and page-turning stories ever since.

You can find her here:

Twitter/X @georgiawrites

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/georgiahillauthor

Website www.georgiahill.co.uk

About New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay

Va Va Bloom is the brand new florist shop in Lullbury Bay, run by the talented – and heartbroken – Daisy.

As soon as she set foot in Lullbury Bay, Daisy knew it would be the perfect place to heal from her past and rebuild her life. Working in her vey own florist shop by the sea, life couldn’t be better.

Except… arranging beautiful flowers for the weddings of the seaside elite, including the coastal wedding of the year, she can’t help thinking about what could have been.

Then Rick comes into the shop one day, and she finds herself open to a new romance for the first time in ages. But as it turns out, he isn’t without his own baggage… Will love ever bloom again for Daisy?

New Beginnings at Lullbury Bay is out on 19^th February and can be pre-ordered here: geni.us/lullburybay

I can’t wait to read it 💝 Mx