You can buy Escape for the Summer as an eBook now.
"Escape for the Summer is the story of three young women who head to Cornwall for the holiday season. Each girl is very different yet there are parts of me in all of them, and I had the time of my life playing with the multiple narrative structure. This is the book I’ve been longing to tackle for a very long time – a big fat beach read full of sunshine and adventure and with a huge cast of colourful characters – and I loved every minute of writing it.
Escape for the Summer is about friendship, new and old, and how it is often when things seem to be at their very darkest that life carries you away to new and wonderful adventures. I started writing the novel after quite a bleak time, and soon my own life started to imitate the story. I won’t give too much away, but I now live in the Caribbean and have a whole new chapter of my own to explore, but like my characters, I had to let go of everything I knew first. Have I met gorgeous guys, multi-millionaires and footballers? Now that would be telling!
I do miss Cornwall very much, but writing this book really helped me to cope with being homesick. That probably sounds crazy when I can see the Caribbean Sea from my sofa, but there really is no place like home. While I was writing the novel, I felt like I was back in Cornwall, and I adored being able to write about the places I know so well. I hope my love for the county shines through.
There’s a great story behind this book! It was summer 2011, and I was on the River Fowey when I noticed a hire boat driven by twenty-something girls shrieking with excitement. I instantly wondered who they were and why they were in Cornwall. I took a few snaps on my iPhone and began to make some notes. Soon, Escape for the Summer was taking shape. Once the novel was written, I really wanted to trace these girls, who in my mind had become Andi, Angel, and Gemma from the book, and thank them for being the inspiration. I had the picture I’d taken so I posted this onto my website. A few weeks later, I was thrilled to receive an email from one of the girls who filled me in on their real identities. They were Uni friends, and every summer they meet up for a reunion holiday. This is a story in itself, and I’m very tempted to ask them for some more info!
I’m now working on my Christmas novella, which is going to feature characters from Escape for the Summer. It’s a new experience trying to get into the Christmas spirit when the temperatures exceed thirty degrees, and the sun is like a blast furnace. I close the blinds, crank the air con down, and play carols on my iPod, which works a treat until I put my head out the door.
Maybe I need to send Andi, Angel, and Gemma off for a Caribbean Christmas? Now there’s a thought! Excuse me while I go and write it down…"
Thanks so much, Ruth!
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