Summer Picnic with Jaffareadstoo ~ Lynne Shelby ☼

☼ Jaffareadstoo is delighted to welcome you all to our Summer Picnic ☼ 

Pull up a deck chair, tie knots in your hanky and roll up your trouser legs!

☼ Summer time is here ☼ 

☼ I'm delighted to welcome author, Lynne Shelby to our picnic ☼

What favourite foods are you bringing to our summer picnic? 

French bread and Boursin cheese, smoked salmon and cream cheese on brown bread, and sable grapes. 

Would you like chilled white wine, a flute of Prosecco, a tumbler of Pimms, or a tall glass of sparkling elderflower cordial? 

Chilled white wine, please – my favourite summer drink. 

Where shall we sit, by the pool, in the garden, in the countryside, at the seaside? 

The seaside. I find food tastes best when it’s eaten sitting on a beach in the sun, with the waves lapping at the sand and seagulls wheeling overhead. 

Do we have a wicker hamper, tablecloth and cutlery, or is everything in a supermarket carrier bag? 

Oh, we definitely have a wicker hamper and a traditional red and white checked picnic tablecloth. 

Do you have favourite place to have a summer picnic? 

I loves picnics on the beach, but as I live in a town, my picnics are usually eaten in our local park, where there is often live music from local bands in the summer. 

Which of your literary heroes are joining us on the picnic today? 

I’ve asked Jane Austen to come along – I’m sure she’d be very entertaining company, and I’ve always wanted to ask her which of the film and TV versions of Pride and Prejudice is her favourite. I’ve also invited Aphra Behn, the first woman to earn her living as a playwright. As well as talking to her about her writing, I’d love to hear her about her adventures as an Elizabethan spy. 

Which summer read are you bringing with you today? 

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. It’s a wonderful novel about three women who escape the dreary British weather by renting a villa on the sunny Italian Riviera, and the changes a holiday in such a beautiful place brings about in their lives. The book is a perfect summer read.

Vintage

What is your earliest summer memory? 

I remember digging a sandcastle on the beach in Bournemouth when I was about four, decorating it with shells, planting a windmill on top, and waiting for the tide to come in and fill the moat. 

Do you have a favourite summer hideaway? 

Not exactly a hideaway, but if I’m writing in the garden in summer, I’m not visible from the front of the house, so I can write without interruption! 

Do you have a summer music playlist for reading / writing? And if so will you share with us a favourite song or piece of music that makes you feel summery? 

I usually have a CD playing in the background when I’m writing. A song that makes me feel summery is Here Come The Sun by The Beatles. 

Do you find that your reading tastes differ between winter and summer? 

I wouldn’t say that my reading tastes change dramatically between winter and summer – I read all sorts of books, all year round – but in the depths of December, I do find myself drawn to the wonderful Christmas books that are published at that time of year. In summer, I enjoy books set in holiday destinations, especially places I’ve visited. 

Do you find it easier to write in the summer months or during the winter? 

I tend to write more in the winter – when it’s wet and cold, there are less temptations to go out for the day than on a sunny day in the summer. 

Would you like to tell us a little about your latest novel, or your current work in progress? 

My new novel, The Summer of Taking Chances is a contemporary romance, set in a small seaside village over one summer. 

It’s been ten years since Emma Stevens last laid eyes on Jake Murray. When he left the small seaside village of South Quay to chase the limelight, Emma’s dreams left with him. 

Now Emma is content living a quiet and uneventful life in South Quay. It’s far from the life she imagined, but at least her job at the local hotel has helped heal her broken heart. 

But when Jake returns to South Quay for the summer, Emma’s feelings quickly come flooding back. There’s clearly a connection between them, but Jake has damaged her heart once already – will she ever be able to give him a second chance? 

Lynne, where can we follow you on social media? 

Twitter @LynneB1 

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LynneShelbyWriter 

Instagram handle: lynneshelbywriter 

Blog/web url: www.lynneshelby.com

More about Lynne

Lynne Shelby writes contemporary women’s fiction/romance. Her debut novel, French Kissing, was published when it won a national writing competition, and her latest novel is The Summer of Taking Chances. She has worked at a variety of jobs from stable girl to child actor’s chaperone to legal administrator, but now writes full time. When not writing or reading, Lynne can usually be found at the theatre watching a play or a musical, or exploring a foreign city, writer's notebook, camera and sketchbook in hand. She lives in London with her husband, and has three adult children who live nearby.

Thank you for coming to our picnic. 

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