Sophia Bertoni discovers her boyfriend in bed with another woman, and realizes her life is going nowhere. Leaving her high-pressure job, she travels to Italy to stay with her grandmother while she figures out her next move.
When Sophia – quite literally – bumps into devastatingly handsome Joe Lancaster her plans are turned upside down. As the two realize they’re both spending the summer in the same town, a love affair seems on the cards.
But Sophia and Joe are both burdened by family secrets. Despite their attraction, will the sun set on Sophia and Joe’s romance – or will they find love at the Italian lake?
Title: Love at the Italian Lake
Author: Darcie Boleyn
Published By: Canelo.
Publication Date: 31st July 2017
Links: UK: Amazon US: Amazon
Author Q & A Darcie Boleyn
What was the inspiration behind this novel?
In 2010 my husband and I travelled to Lake Garda in Italy to decide whether it would be a good location for our wedding. We fell in love with Malcesine, and although we didn’t get married there in the end, it is such a beautiful location that I knew I had to set a novel there.
Did you always want to be a writer?
I’ve always written, and as a child I used to enter short story and poetry competitions. This continued when I went to university but then, as life became busier, writing took a back seat. I nursed the dream to write for years when my children were young, and I tried to write a novel but spent far too much time procrastinating, which meant that it didn’t get finished. A few years ago, my husband encouraged me to really try again, and following a few false starts, I finally had that amazing acceptance email. Since then, I haven’t stopped!
What other jobs have you had?
When I was sixteen, I worked at a local supermarket on the checkouts and stacking shelves but I quit to focus on my A Levels. After graduating from university, I spent a year working at a shop that sold toiletries – although polishing the soaps got a bit boring after a while – before returning to higher education to achieve my PGCE. Following this, I worked for nineteen years as an English teacher, teaching pupils aged 11-18.
What motivates you to keep writing?
I love writing – everything about it – from the moment that I have the story idea, whether it’s a title, a line from a character, or a clear scene that appears in my head, to the full mapping out of the story, to writing the first draft then working on edits to make it stronger. It’s such an exciting process and one where I’m constantly learning. I’m always writing these days and I can’t imagine any other way of life. If I couldn’t write, I’d suffer, because I am quite literally bursting with ideas, words and plots.
Do your characters moods ever affect your mood and vice versa?
As for my moods, there will always be elements of me in my stories and my characters, especially where emotions are concerned, but I am writing fiction, so I try to allow the characters to develop themselves and to ensure that they make decisions that would make sense for them. This is also where a good editor comes in; to point out if something is ‘out of character’ or to question if a character’s thoughts and feelings are fully developed. Some scenes that I write make me cry – it could be because they’re happy or because they’re sad – but some also make me laugh, so yes, my characters’ moods do affect me. Also, as I’m constantly thinking about my current WIP, I do carry my characters around with me and it can be difficult to switch off, as I’m always thinking about their development and motivation. Luckily, my family are very understanding. ;-)
Which authors inspire you?
So many authors inspire me, and I enjoy reading a wide variety of genres, so this is always a difficult question as I’m worried I’ll miss someone out if I start naming them. Anyone who manages to write a whole book is inspirational because finishing a novel is the hardest part.
And now think about the books you've read and just give the first one that comes into your head for our quickfire 'Which book round.'
Which book has made you:
Laugh out loud?
Cocktails and Dreams by A.L. Michael
Cry your heart out?
Me Before You by Jo Jo Moyes
Want to read it again?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Think more?
Court of Lions by Jane Johnson
Wish it would be made into a film?
One Hundred Proposals by Holly Martin
Shocked?
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (I read this years ago for my degree but now I’m watching the series and it’s fabulous!)
Scared?
The Stand by Stephen King
Thank you for joining us on the blog today Darcie and good luck with the book.
Sincerely
Book Angel x
About the Author
Darcie Boleyn has a huge heart and is a real softy. She never fails to cry at books and movies, whether the ending is happy or not. Darcie is in possession of an overactive imagination that often keeps her awake at night. Her childhood dream was to become a Jedi but she hasn’t yet found suitable transport to take her to a galaxy far, far away. She also has reservations about how she’d look in a gold bikini, as she rather enjoys red wine, cheese and loves anything with ginger or cherries in it – especially chocolate. Darcie fell in love in New York, got married in the snow, rescues uncoordinated greyhounds and can usually be found reading or typing away on her laptop.
Follow the rest of the tour here....
Follow the rest of the tour here....
No comments:
Post a Comment