A Little Hotel
in Cornwall
Struggling American waitress and aspiring
novelist Maisie Clark dreams of becoming a full-time writer — even though in
real life she's just lost her chance at an exclusive writer's mentorship
program that would give her novel its big break. Desperate, she decides to take
a chance and ask her favourite writer, a celebrated but reclusive
English novelist, to help her find a second chance.
When she receives the author's reply in an envelope with a Cornish postmark, Maisie decides not to take the writer's half-hearted 'no' for an answer. With nothing to lose, she takes off for the author's last known location, a beautiful hotel on Cornwall's western coast. But when the hotel mistakes her for the latest applicant for a maid's position, Maisie finds herself given an opportunity too good to lose ... and a chance for a summer adventure far bigger than she ever imagined.
Surrounded by breathtaking Cornwall and working in an elegant hotel, Maisie's world becomes one of secret identities, quirky friends, and unintentional mishaps — and despite reminders of past relationship disasters, a certain handsome, charming local resident Sidney Daniels has her conflicted about her heart's desires, too.
Will Maisie find the chance she's been waiting for — and a possible new romance — in her perfect Cornish summer?
Thank you so much to Laura for
letting me share an excerpt from A Little
Hotel in Cornwall with her lovely readers today! This scene finds the
heroine Maisie on her way to the beautiful, historic hotel where a famous
English novelist might be staying. An aspiring writer herself, Maisie hopes the
great author will give her some much needed help in salvaging her dream of
becoming a writer.
The Penmarrow Hotel was indeed at the top of the hill
— one carved halfway off on one side, leaving steep cliffs hanging over the
beach and the ocean, with the tall mansion sitting alone atop that flat green
crest. The view of the manor I had seen from the village's entrance belonged to
this place, I discovered, as I climbed the hill to its location.
Pale red bricks and grey stone, arched windows stacked
four stories high, with towers and chimneys rising from the roof above. I set
down my luggage for a moment in the car park and took it in, the awe-inspiring
house facing the water.
The sea looked big enough to swallow this spot. A vast
blue blanket among rocks which emerged like islands from the mists and foam.
Paved pathways of cobblestone divided the hotel's green lawn on the cliffs
above the water into neatly-manicured squares. From where I stood, in one
direction were the lawn and the view of the sea; in the other, a walled-off
yard behind stones on the other side of the car park. Green was the dominant
color glimpsed over stone garden wall.
Downton Abbey. Brideshead
Castle. Cliff End. Misselthwaite Manor. Dozens of fictional English
manors came to mind, suggested by this majestic, towering hall. I had stepped
into one of the books of my university days, the old romances set in grand old
houses, and now I was going to have to find my reality in it.
It was time to go inside and ask for Mr. Davies. I
would probably be denied at the desk, and would be left to hover in the lobby
until someone who looked like the famous writer came down — and this
part of the adventure was as far as my plans reached. I squared my shoulders
and collected my bags so I could go and face this moment, as I had promised
myself. Just not through the intimidating front door, maybe.
A little gate stood open, and human voices emerged. I
walked in the direction of the sound and the glimpse of green on the other
side. There might be a patio on that side of the garden, where a writer might
sit and absorb the atmosphere. There might be fellow guests who knew if a famous
author stayed here recently. If I were very lucky —
I stepped through the gateway, and discovered I was
wrong about this. Instead of a tea party of guests or an Erich Segal lookalike deep in thought,
I found a walled-off yard where a classic Rolls-Royce was parked, black paint
gleaming in the sun, and three men were sitting just outside of a tiny arched
side door.
Author Bio –
Laura Briggs is the author of several chick lit and
romance stories, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in
Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with
polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries.
When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her
pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.
Social Media Links –
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurabriggs/
Frances Aylor, CFA combines her investing experience and love of travel in her financial thrillers. MONEY GRAB is the first in the series. 
Mollie Cox Bryan is the author of cookbooks, articles, essays, poetry, and fiction. An Agatha Award nominee, she lives in Central Virginia. 
Lynn Cahoon is the NYT and USA Today author of the best-selling Tourist Trap, Cat Latimer and Farm-to-Fork mystery series. 
A. Chalkley is a native Virginian. She is a writer, retired public safety communications officer, and a member of Sisters in Crime.
Stacie Giles lived many places before settling in Virginia where she is returning to ancestral Southern roots, including a grandfather who was a Memphis policeman.
Barb Goffman has won the Agatha, Macavity, and Silver Falchion awards for her short stories, and is a two-time finalist for US crime-writing awards.
Libby Hall is a communication analyst with a consulting firm in Richmond, Virginia. She is also a blogger, freelance writer, wife, and mother of two.
Deb Rolfe primarily writes mystery novels. This is her first published short story. She and her husband enjoy life in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Heather Weidner is the author of the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries. She has short stories in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 SHADES OF CABERNET and TO FETCH A THIEF. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and Jack Russell terriers. 
Mary Burton is a New York Times, USA Today and Kindle best-selling author. She is currently working on her latest suspense. 
Mary Miley is a historian and writer with 14 nonfiction books and 5 mystery novels to her credit. 
is my fifteenth novel.
