A love that seems lost, may still yet be found, for real love always endures.
1890. One summer evening changes everything for Sidney and Leonard Bellingham when their beloved mother disappears from the family home, Halesham Hall. Left with their bitter father, they are taught to trust no one but themselves, with brother pitted against brother to see who is worthy of inheriting the Bellingham Board Games company. But the series of twisted games they are forced to play will have far reaching consequences.
1920. Phoebe Bellingham arrives at Halesham Hall determined to solve the puzzles that will allow her to claim back the Bellingham inheritance. But this legacy involves more than one secret, and soon Phoebe realises that the stakes are higher than she ever could have imagined.
Title: The Legacy of Halesham Hall
Author: Jenni Keer
Published By: Headline Accent
Publication Date: 15th September 2022
Links: UK: Amazon
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Author Q & A with Jenni Keer
Hi Jenni and welcome to Sincerely Book Angels blog.
Hi Annette. Thank you so much for having me over. It’s always a joy to chat books with a fellow author, and particularly kind of you to invite me now that my fourth book, The Legacy of Halesham Hall, has just been published.
What inspired you to write this book?
This book has possibly been lying dormant inside me for decades, but the initial inspiration was a weird house I came across online, with many peculiar features, including staircases that didn’t lead anywhere. My writer brain immediately conjured up a staircase that led to a permanently locked door, and I wondered what might be behind it. You know how we authors simply can’t stop asking questions! As I started to develop the story, I realised that the tone was being influenced by my love of Du Maurier’s Rebecca, and so I would describe it a light gothic romance. It’s been an absolute joy to write and I hope people enjoy Phoebe’s twisty, turny journey.
Did you always want to be a writer?
Nope, but looking back, it is obvious that this was my calling. It wasn’t until I become mum to four boys in three years, and was reading all the uplit I could get my hands on, that the thought of writing a novel even occurred to me. Once I set off down the road, however, there was simply no turning back.
Can you please tell us a little about your publishing story.
Once I’d decided I was going to write a full length novel (I briefly flirted with short stories but had far too much to say to be limited to 2000 words!) I had a feeling I would eventually be able to get traditionally published, but just didn’t know when. Would it take two years? Or twenty? (Spoiler alert – it actually took nine.) I wrote my first 100k novel over the next couple of years, largely in the evenings when the boys were in bed. I sent it out to agents and received the inevitable rejections. I learned from my mistakes and wrote another novel. And then another. And then another … determined to keep going until I secured that all-elusive publishing deal. Eventually, I sent The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker off to a publisher open submissions and, much to my surprise, I was offered a two book deal. Securing an agent swiftly followed.
What other books have you written?
I had two romcoms out with Harper Collins: The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker and The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows. Then I tweaked my genre slightly and have had two dual-time stories published with Headline Accent: The Secrets of Hawthorn Place (which has done exceptionally well) and The Legacy of Halesham Hall, which came out on Sept 15th.
Have you ever had writer's block?
No, but possibly because I don’t always write chronologically. I tend to hop about and write the scenes I’m inspired by, so when I do get stuck, I just move to another section of the story. I’m a pantser, so rewriting doesn’t faze me.
Where is your favourite place to write? (Can we please have a picture)
Mostly, I write at my desk, which is tucked away in the corridor between the living room and the downstairs loo. But I can write anywhere. I have an extremely busy household (six of us, remember) so sometimes I will escape to a friend’s house or the local library. During the winter, I decamp to the sofa, because it’s closer to the log-burner and therefore warmer. But during the summer, my ABSOLUTE favourite writing place is at the bottom of my garden. I do so love being surrounded by green.
What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
1. Tell the story that you want to tell. Don’t try to write for the market. Your passion for the story will always shine through.
2. FINISH writing the book, and don’t get distracted by the shiny new idea. It is so important to work though all the rubbish bits (like the sticky middle and the part where you hate the story and wonder why you ever thought it was a good idea) and to learn how to edit an entire book. You will surprise yourself by how much the book improves AFTER you’ve finished that nightmare first draft.
3. Persevere. The only difference between a published author and an unpublished author, is the published author didn’t give up.
Who would you choose to play your favourite character in the film of your book?
I had this question recently at a Waterstones event so I shall repeat what I said to them. I always think of myself as the protagonist (even if she’s four foot tall, ginger and nothing like me!) so I couldn’t possibly cast any of my heroines. I also strongly feel that everyone conjurers up their own image of the characters, so to name actors would invariably disappoint people. I made the mistake of showing someone a photograph of the real life Arts and Craft architect who had inspired the wonderful Percy Gladwell in Hawthorn Place, and they were so horrified that I decided never to do that again…
What is your next book about?
I’m currently writing a novel set in 1927, and for the first time, the setting is not linked to my beloved East Anglia, but is instead set in an unnamed part of West London. It’s been both a joy and absolute nightmare to write because it has an unusual structure. The roaring twenties were a fascinating period in history and I have some delightful characters, but I’m keeping the plot-line close to my chest because this one has a very different slant…
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| Jenni at a book signing with author friends from the RNA Norfolk Chapter |
Thank you so much for joining us on the blog Jenni and good luck with the book.
Thank you so much for having me over. I’ve loved answering all your questions and hope that if your readers like the sound of my books, they will connect with me on social media, and come and say Hi. I’m very friendly :) Jenni x
Sincerely
Book Angel x
About the Author
Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing commercial women's fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere, with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.
The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker (Jan 2019).
The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows (July 2019).
THE SECRETS OF HAWTHORN PLACE out Oct 2021.
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