Warwick’s Mermaid by Ellie Gray

Please welcome Ellie Gray author of Warwick’s Mermaid

Ellie Gray will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Warwick’s Mermaid

by Ellie Gray

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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INTERVIEW:

1. How did you come up with ideas for your books?

It’s difficult to say really. A lot of the time, the characters come to me first and then I explore where they have come from, or what issue or difficulty is that they are currently experiencing – the story just tends to grow from there. Other times, it might be an idea sparked by an overheard snippet of conversation, or a small piece or scenario on a television programme I’m watching. The ideas tend to lay dormant in my brain for a while and perhaps I subconsciously work on them as I sleep because I tend to wake up with a storyline buzzing round my head, insisting I write it down before I forget it.

2. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I also run a small business making handcrafted jewellery and small gifts.

3. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I currently work full time in local government but am hoping to reduce my hours over the next few months so that I can devote more time to my writing. I have recently branched out into romantic suspense, and have a couple of young adult fantasy books that I have drafted – I would love to see if I can work on those and get them to a place where they can be published.

4. If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

I think I would be Kiya from my debut novel, Beauty and the Recluse. I have lost both my parents so fully understand her grief, but most importantly, I share Kiya’s love of beautiful old mansions. I would love to be able to live in St. John’s mansion, and coax both it and him back to life.

5. If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your leading roles?

Julia Roberts (in her Pelican Brief, and Sleeping with Enemy days) would play Chloe – she has the long red hair, and the vulnerability with a hidden strength type of characterization that is perfect for Chloe.

Tom Hiddleston (in his The Night Manager persona, rather than Loki…..). He is good looking, urbane, and looks fantastic in an expensive suit. Again, he can carry off the strength with a hint of vulnerability that personifies Luke.

6. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

I first submitted my work, all those years ago, when it really wasn’t ready. I submitted Beauty and the Recluse when I had first written it under the title House Without Love. I now realise that what I actually sent to an agent was, in fact, nothing more than a first draft. I was very naïve and inexperienced in terms of writing, and I had no understanding of first drafts, structural edits etc. I did receive some wonderfully complimentary and helpful feedback but, of course, a ‘no thanks’. Since then I’ve come a long way, worked hard to learn the craft of writing, and look back at my naivety with a wry smile.

7. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I tend to write all my books in my head before I ever put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. I always have done, and it works for me. I work and re-work the book in my head until I am happy with it, and I know every step that needs to happen. I then start writing it on my laptop and work straight through until the end. There are often additional elements that my characters tell me I need to add in as I’m writing, and that I hadn’t foreseen, but we always get to where we need to get to in the end!

8. Do you have any hobbies and does the knowledge you’ve gained from these carry over into your characters or the plot of your books?

I make and sell handcrafted jewellery as a small business, and I used this experience to write about Chloe’s dream to have her own shop selling the jewellery she makes. She is far more talented than I am, and now has her own shop in Whitby.

9. Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book?

My next book is due to be published in November 2021 and is my first romantic suspense novel, titled Winter Storm. It is set in a small, isolated village in North Yorkshire at Christmas time. The hero and heroine get snowed in the village as a Winter Storm sweeps through. He is an undercover policeman, and she is a primary school teacher. Someone is stalking them through the village, but who could it be, and more importantly, who can they trust?

10. Who is your favorite actor and actress?

I have chosen Julia Roberts as the actress I would like to play Chloe MacGregor – Julia is one of my favourite actresses – I think she is really talented and she stars in many of my favourite films.

Keanu Reeves has to be my favourite actor – not perhaps the most talented actor, but I like his quirky characters, and I get the sense he is a really good guy in real life.

BLURB:

Having escaped an abusive relationship, Chloe MacGregor is determined to put the past behind her. The little cottage high up on the cliffs overlooking the beautiful North Yorkshire town of Whitby is her safe haven, somewhere she is free to be herself.

When the arrival of her new neighbor and boss, Luke Warwick, threatens her peaceful, sheltered life, Chloe is forced to confront her past and to re-evaluate who she really is. Falling in love with Luke is not part of her plan but, to her surprise, Luke is falling for her too. The only thing preventing their happy ever after is Chloe herself. Will she ever truly learn to leave the past where it belongs?

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EXCERPT:

Luke relaxed back in his chair, his body angled towards Chloe, one arm resting casually on the table, the other along the back of his chair. In stark contrast, she was sitting bolt upright, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, and his gaze narrowed thoughtfully as he watched her battling with some emotion. He had been taken by surprise when he saw her walk into the room with Lucie, recognising her instantly as the girl he had been captivated by on the beach below his cliff-top cottage. He remembered how her auburn curls, tumbling down to the base of her spine, had shone brightly in the sunlight as she collected shells along the shore, oblivious to his gaze. And now here she was again; except tonight she was tense and uneasy, whereas on the beach she had seemed relaxed, carefree, and somehow ethereal.

“Red or white?”

She looked up in surprise and Luke smiled faintly, gesturing to the wine bottles sitting on the table.

“Do you drink red or white?”

“Oh, er…white, please.” She briefly met his gaze before adding, “Can’t stand red.”

As he reached forward to pour her a glass, she snapped around to face him. “This isn’t a blind date, is it?”

He favoured her with a curious glance, taking his time with pouring himself a glass of water before settling back into his seat. “I’ve just moved to the area. A friend suggested the ball and put me in touch with Clive, and I couldn’t think of a good reason why not. He mentioned Lucie would be bringing a friend, but in answer to your question, no, I didn’t understand it to be a blind date.”

Chloe nodded and sipped at her wine, clearly unconvinced.

“I gather Lucie has persuaded you here under false pretences?” Aware that this was somehow a big deal for her, he frowned and leant forward. “Look, forget Lucie’s intentions, blind date or otherwise. Even if I hadn’t been invited as part of the group, you would still be sitting next to a stranger. Why don’t we start again as two people who happen to meet up at a ball, safe in the knowledge that, after this evening, we don’t have to see each other ever again if we don’t want to?”

“Luke Warwick.” He reached out his hand, holding her gaze.

After a brief hesitation, she took it, the tension visibly leaving her body as she smiled at him in relief. “Chloe MacGregor.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I love to write heartwarming, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense novels, with characters I really want my readers to engage with. I live in the beautiful East Riding of Yorkshire in the UK and, although I work full-time in the public sector, my favourite pastime, when not writing, is wandering around old stately homes and castles, or sitting at a pavement café in the sun and watching the world go by – always on the lookout for something that might spark the idea for my next novel.

I enjoy engaging with both readers and other authors, and am a proud member of the Romantic Novelist Association. Feel free to contact me and chat about all things romance through my social media pages, which you can find at the bottom of this page.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warwicks-mermaid-ellie-gray/1126986525

Links for Ellie Gray, Contemporary Romance Author

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/elliegray58

Pinterest:  https://uk.pinterest.com/elliegray71/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Ellie Gray will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3823