Jen Silver – Journey to Winterbourne and an Ebook Giveaway!!!

Giveaway is now closed and the winners are: Elma Young and Devlyn!

Christmas is coming and Jen Silver has the perfect book for the upcoming holidays. Leave a comment at the end of the blog to be in with a chance of winning an ebook of Christmas at Winterbourne. Take it away Jen!

 

The ideal Christmas to me is a few days in a country house hotel, log fires, mulled wine on tap, homemade mince pies, Christmas crackers and beautifully prepared meals that we haven’t had to shop for or cook (and clean up). Then, a little doze after the main meal when the most important decision is whether or not to watch the Queen’s speech.

So this was the inspiration for Christmas at Winterbourne…the cosy Christmas setting with a lesbian twist.

The book took me a long time to finish. I started it two and a half years ago and since then I have had four other books published (and another submitted to my publisher and accepted!).

What happened? Well, it was going to be a short story for Affinity’s 2014 Christmas Collection. However, after writing the first sixteen hundred words, I realised there was a full-length novel lurking.

Christmas at Winterbourne is a story that has its beginnings in the past. Characters in the book flash back to memories of the previous owner of Winterbourne House, Kim Russell. The book’s subtitle is ‘A Memoir in the Making’ so the story is as much about Kim as it is about the present day inhabitants and guests.

Kim has her own fully developed backstory in an unpublished novel—something I started writing about twenty-three years ago. But it needed re-telling from a present-day perspective. This meant I already had a cast of characters, just older (and not necessarily wiser). But the Christmas theme brought a different dimension and gave me the chance to add some new characters.

The Christmas setting won’t appeal to everyone, so it was a relief for me to see these comments by a reviewer:

“…I was surprised at how much I liked this book. I am not a fan of Christmas and I was really worried that this book would be all about it. Turns out that while the book is set during that time of year, it was much, much more than that! Ms Silver writes flawlessly. The pace was great, there were no technical errors that I noticed and the story itself was just wonderful…”

Readers of my other books will also notice I’ve taken a break from the north of England landscape. Christmas at Winterbourne is set in the Sussex countryside, not far from Brighton. I had started the original story when I was living in London. When I began the new one, I did have thoughts about relocating it to somewhere near Manchester, but Winterbourne was pretty much set in my mind as I could picture the village and surrounding area with visions of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville West frolicking in the woods.

For anyone who hasn’t seen it before, here is the back of the book blurb:

The Christmas festivities for the guests booked into Winterbourne House have all the goings-on of a traditional holiday. The only difference is that this guesthouse is run by lesbians, for lesbians.

When the guests arrive, tensions are already simmering between the house’s owner Wilma (Wil) and very pregnant partner, Gabriella. Wil has a lot on her plate…ensuring the smooth running of the events, looking after all the guests, including her in-laws and business partners. What she hasn’t planned for is a ghost from Christmas past.

Wil inherited Winterbourne from her adopted mother, Kim Russell, author of a series of successful lesbian novels. Most of the guests who stay, do so because they are fans of the author.

One guest, Sally Hunter, is on a mission to write Kim’s official biography. She meets with resistance from the people at the house she tries to interview, stirring up memories from those who knew the reclusive writer well.

For a bit of extra spice to the festivities, add in an unexpected snowstorm, a disappearing guest, and an imminent birth. Join the guests and staff at Winterbourne for a Christmas you’ll not soon forget.

So, I hope you’ll enjoy a visit to Winterbourne House. Never a dull moment where this lot are concerned (oh, and there are horses, too!).

Christmas at Winterbourne is available from: Affinity eBooks / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords / Apple iTunes