Ann’s newest book is HIGH TIDE, the second installment in the Lowenna series. Here’s a brief synopsis of the book: Giovanna Matthews settles happily into the English west country village of Lowenna, but a storm is about to rock her world. Distressing the ladies from the knitting circle, a body drifts in with a high tide and unconvinced the death is an accident, Gia leaves no pebble unturned while sleuthing her way around the village. Her delving further disrupts village life much to the distress of many villagers who want every rock to stay firmly in place. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, David, has an unwelcome visitor who threatens to unravel the bonds that tie him and Gia. Can Gia solve the mystery and encourage the visitor to leave before her anchor in the village is uprooted and she too is cast out to sea?
Ann has stopped by to answer some questions about herself and her writing.
Mason - Tell us a little about yourself?
Ann - I was born in London, spent my childhood there and
moved to the U.S. in the 1980s. I have always enjoyed writing, which started with long, embellished letters to my aunts as a child. The past five years I’ve learned more about the craft of writing novels, joined a critique group and attended many conferences. HIGH TIDE is my third published cozy mystery.Mason - How do you come up with a story?
Ann - I usually think about a story long before putting pen to paper. Sometimes I may come up with an idea from a newspaper article or from a conversation.
Mason - Do you have an ending in mind when you start writing?
Ann - Not always. Sometimes it changes as the story progresses.
Mason - What advice would you give new authors?
Ann - Don’t take rejection seriously. All opinions are subjective. Keep working and learn from well known published authors. If you have doubts about something, study a novel in the same genre. Look for a critique group in your area or online.
Mason - Where is HIGH TIDE available?
Ann - The printed copy is available on Amazon. For e-readers it’s available on Kindle and on other formats on Smashwords.com.
Mason - How can readers find out more about you?
Ann - My blog: www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com, my website www.annsummerville.com and by email cozyintexas@yahoo.com Thanks Mason for inviting me.
Ann, it’s always great to have you here. HIGH TIDE is an interesting mystery filled with suspense, humor and romance. Gia is a fun protagonist.
Ann’s short stories and flash fiction have been published in Long Story Short, The Shine Journal, Doorknobs & Bodypaint Anthology, Associated Content, Trinity Writer’s Workshop newsletters and also their collection of Christmas stories. A member of Cowtown Crimesolvers, the Fort Worth Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Ann is currently working on her latest cozy mystery set in a Texas town.
Do you enjoy a little humor and romance with your mystery? If you’re a writer, what are your thoughts on rejection?
* Sorry for the delay in posting today, we had severe storms last night.
Ann, thanks so much for guest blogging here today. It's always fun learning about an author's writing process. Wishing you much success with your writing.
ReplyDeleteMason - Thanks for hosting Ann.
ReplyDeleteAnn - What an interesting premise for a novel! A body washing in on a tide near a village... intriguing!! Like you, I think about I write before I actually write it down - good to know I'm not the only one :-). I wish you much success with High Tide.
This sounds like a cheerful mystery!
ReplyDeleteAnd I do hope you're okay from all the storms - yikes!
Mason, are y'all all okay? Crazy night, wasn't it? We had some wind damage in the Charlotte area (lots of power outages), but all was fine in our neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteAnn, good advice on not taking rejection too seriously! Perseverance is really key in this business, I think.
Mason, thanks for inviting me. We had storms here in North Texas too, no damage fortunately. Hope everyone else is okay.
ReplyDeleteI learned early on to only keep positive notes from people. If you read review blogs you know that we're not all delighted with the same story. If you love writing, just keep going. If nothing else you've spent a pleasant time delving into the creative side of your brain, and I bet someone out there will also enjoy your story.
Ann
I´ll say what I feel about rejections as soon as I have recovered from the last one ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd I really must get round to one of Ann´s books soon. I have some obligations first, but then...
Cruella, we are okay. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, glad to hear everyone is okay your way. We're okay here. It was some crazy weather. We had a lot of lightning and not as much wind around here. A portion of our county did get some serious wind damage and power was out in a good many places for awhile. Cold and windy today, but tomorrow and Thursday are suppose to be in the upper 70s and sunny. Just never know about the weather. :)
Ann, glad to know everything is okay your way too. I think that storm just about reached from north to south as it moved through.
Dorte, I think you'll enjoy Ann's books. Sorry about the rejection, but it was their loss. They don't know what they're missing. :)
Jeffrey Deaver says to view rejections as road bumps and not a brick wall - I think that's a great analogy.
ReplyDeleteAnn
I love what Ann has to say, especially about rejection. I keep trying to enjoy cozy mysteries but they're far from cozy! I love watching Midomer Murders though!
ReplyDeleteDenise<3
L'Aussies Travel Blog A - Z Challenge - D is for Darfur
I love the Midsomer Murder series too, but I think the music is creepy. The books by Caroline Graham are also good - the series were based on her books.
ReplyDeleteAnn
I like humor and romance in a cozy mystery.
ReplyDeleteThe cover of HIGH TIDE is fantasic