Guest Post - Ann Summerville

Tell us a little about yourself?

I grew up in London and lived in Cornwall for about ten years before moving to the U.S.

What do you miss most about England?

When I lived and worked in London I loved wandering around the backstreets and researching history. I read any book I could get my hands on by Jean Plaidy and Anya Seton and tried to find places mentioned in those books. (There isn’t anything very old here in Texas.) Moving from the city to a small village on the coast of England was a big adjustment. Everyone moved at a much slower pace. We lived in a cottage on the cliffs overlooking a beach that had three miles of sand when the tide went out. Village life is so different. Everyone has a connection and there is such a sense of camaraderie. I used my experiences moving from London to Cornwall in my book A Graceful Death, which is the first book in the Lowenna series. (Lowenna means joy in Cornish).

In one sentence, how would you describe your latest book, The Berton Hotel, to someone who knows nothing about it?

The Berton Hotel delves into the mystery of a woman, who disappeared in the 1930s from a prominent Texas hotel, and her great-granddaughter’s quest to find out what happened to her.

Where can we find out more about your book?

Website -  www.annsummerville.com

Blog - www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com

The book is available on:

Amazon (USA) in paperback

Amazon (USA) for Kindle

Amazon (UK) in paperback

Amazon (UK) for Kindle

Other e-reader formats are on Smashwords

What is your favourite character in The Berton Hotel?

I grew attached to all the characters, but I think Truitt is my favourite because despite the changes around him, he stays constant and neither tries to impress anyone, nor change to fit in. He is confident without being conceited and who doesn’t love a cowboy?

Excerpt from The Berton Hotel:

Welcome to Crystal Wells. Lily glanced at the sign, wondering if her great grandmother, Ermenia, had passed here before leaving and if she’d thought about the young daughter she’d left behind. Vanished, without a trace, disappeared into thin air. Lily conjured up all the phrases used when her great grandmother was mentioned.

She’d had three days of driving to think about her decision. But what was the force pushing her toward this desolate town? To solve the mystery of Ermenia’s disappearance, to get away from a disastrous relationship, to advance her career? Lily was still unsure.

The Darth Vadar theme blasted from her bag, and with one hand on the wheel, she fumbled between the lipstick case, receipts, antibacterial gel and credit cards before feeling the smooth mobile phone.

“Stop calling,” Lily yelled into the phone without connecting to the call. She snapped it shut with a finality she did not feel.

As far as she was concerned there were two types of men. Deserters like her father and control freaks like Eric. Lily tossed her phone and it fell amongst the jumble in her bag.

What’s new for 2012?

I’m currently working on the third book in the Lowenna Series, Gwinnel Gardens. It’s about overgrown gardens in Cornwall that the villagers are uncovering and of course there will be a murder that Gia and her friend Holly will be involved in solving.

Thank you, for inviting me today, I look forward to dropping by your blog frequently to see what you’re up to.