Guest Post and Giveaway: Count the Shells by Charlie Cochrane

We’re so pleased to welcome author Charlie Cochrane to the blog today to celebrate the release of the newest installment in the Porthkennack -verse series, Count the Shells. Charlie’s joining us to talk about her inspiration for the book, and there’s also a giveaway so be sure to check out those details at the end.

Welcome, Charlie!

I Blooming Love the Seaside

As a young at heart 39 year old (oh, okay, 59 year old) I knock 50 years off my age when I get within sniffing distance of the briny. I want to play crazy golf, play on the slot machines, stock up my supplies of seaside mint rock, get my toes sandy and then wash them with a nice paddle. I want to rummage about in rock pools, then turn over stones and pick up little crabs or – best of all – bioluminescent worms. Top of the list, I want to collect shells, fossils and artefacts. (You’d be amazed at what little gems turn up if you keep your eyes open; last year I picked up a palm sized piece of fossil coral on a beach in Wales and this year a piece of what appears to be Roman pottery washed up at my feet while I was paddling.)

When the opportunity came up to contribute an historical story to the Porthkennack project, I jumped at it. As usual, I had no idea of a plot but I knew it would be set just post WWI, because the early twentieth century is my favourite era, so I added to that my favourite places. When I thought “beaches!” the first scene of the book sprung fully formed from the Cochrane bonce. A recently returned soldier, counting shells with his nephew, using different languages to amuse the young lad, and remembering all his lovers. The detail of that changed in reworking, so the recollection of lovers was spaced out in the text, but the heart of it remained. From that first idea the story emerged, scene by scene and chapter by chapter, more characters emerging and telling me their stories.

Now, if you’re thinking, “What’s Charlie wittering about now? Doesn’t she tell the characters’ stories?” that’s not how it works in my brain. The stories which seem to be the most successful in terms of reader reaction are where I feel like I’m simply relating something which has been told to me, something almost autobiographical. Time and again I’ll be writing a scene and a character will suddenly appear, clearly being right at home there and leaving me wondering where they came from. That’s what Count the Shells was like in its construction, with my soldier – Michael – acquiring family, friends and some unexpected romantic complications.

And that sensation I referred to earlier, of seaside and holidays, pervaded the whole novel as I wrote it. We can all recall childhood vacations that seemed to be non-stop sun, sand and amusements. The stunningly clear light seen through the trees or over the sea. The long, lazy days with no cares or commitments. I wanted those feelings to pervade the story without them being overwritten or clumsily over emphasised, because sometimes if you try to pin down the wondrous, it slips away. Like a faint star you can’t see at all if you focus on it directly, but which is clear if you look slightly to one side. Or like the sand that insists on slipping through our fingers.

About the Book

Michael Gray returned from World War One injured, but at least he returned. Others were not so fortunate, including his first and greatest love, Thomas Carter-Clemence, with whom Michael had parted bitterly before the conflict began.

Broch, the Carter-Clemence home in Porthkennack, was an integral part of pre-war holidays for the Grays, the two families drawn together in the wake of their sons’ friendship. Returning to the once-beloved Cornish coast for a break with his sister and her family, Michael has to find the courage to face old memories . . . and dare new relationships.

When Thomas’s brother Harry makes an unexpected appearance, Michael is surprised to find himself deeply attracted to Harry for his own sake. But as their relationship heats up, it unearths startling revelations and bitter truths. Michael must decide whether Harry is the answer to his prayers or the last straw to break an old soldier’s back.

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About the Porthkennack Universe

Welcome to Porthkennack, a charming Cornish seaside town with a long and sometimes sinister history. Legend says King Arthur’s Black Knight built the fort on the headland here, and it’s a certainty that the town was founded on the proceeds of smuggling, piracy on the high seas, and the deliberate wrecking of cargo ships on the rocky shore. Nowadays it draws in the tourists with sunshine and surfing, but locals know that the ghosts of its Gothic past are never far below the surface.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by five award-winning, best-selling British LGBTQ romance authors: Alex Beecroft, Joanna Chambers, Charlie Cochrane, Garrett Leigh, and JL Merrow. Follow Porthkennack and its inhabitants through the centuries and through the full rainbow spectrum with historical and contemporary stand-alone titles.

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About the Author

As Charlie Cochrane couldn’t be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes, with titles published by Carina, Samhain, Bold Strokes, MLR and Cheyenne.

Charlie’s Cambridge Fellows Series of Edwardian romantic mysteries was instrumental in her being named Author of the Year 2009 by the review site Speak Its Name. She’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People, International Thriller Writers Inc and is on the organising team for UK Meet for readers/writers of GLBT fiction. She regularly appears with The Deadly Dames.

Connect with Charlie: Website || Blog || Twitter: @charliecochrane || Facebook profile page || Goodreads

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Count the Shells, one lucky winner will receive a goodie bag from Charlie Cochrane, including postcards (new and vintage), a recipe book, bookmark, pencils, a fridge magnet and various other doodahs! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 21, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!