1. 1.
What was your first job? Did you like or dislike it? Why?
My
first job was a Saturday girl in a shop at the top of our road. It was attached
a car repair garage and sold parts for cars. It was like a grimier version of
the shop in ‘Open All Hours’! Every surface was covered in a film of engine oil
and I had no idea what anything was. Men would come in and ask for tricky
things like a rotor arm for a Ford Capri and I’d have to look it up in a huge
catalogue to find the right one. Whatever I needed was invariably on the
highest shelf so then I’d have to shin up a ladder to find it. But despite all
of this, I did quite like the job. It gave me my first taste of financial
independence, even if it was only a few pounds a week!
2.
Do you have a pet peeve? If so what is it?
I
could probably write a book on my pet peeves, but I’ll try and narrow it down!
1. Owners not picking up their
own dog poo.
2. Family members putting empty
cartons back in the fridge or stacking their washing up NEXT to the dishwasher!
3. The mentality of some who
think nothing of spending over £3 for a takeaway coffee, but complain about the
price of books.
3.
Would you describe your style as shabby chic, timeless elegance,
eclectic, country or ____?
I
think I’m probably a bit of all of those except shabby chic. I live in a modern
house in the countryside. Although we have lived here over four years, we’re
still making in the process of making it homely with more pictures and soft
furnishings, it still feels a bit bare to me. Perhaps I need to answer this in
another year’s time!
4.
Tell me about your book THE PLUMBERRY SCHOOL OF COMFORT FOOD and where
you got your inspiration for it?
The
novel follows the story of Verity Bloom who, after her boyfriend does the dirty
on her, reluctantly volunteers to help her best friend’s mum open a cookery
school in the village of Plumberry. Verity has steered away from cooking for
two years since her best friend died and this move forces her to face up to
things she has been avoiding for too long. It’s a story about food, friendship,
love and loss and how sometimes, it’s OK to do something which makes ourselves
happy for a change. My friend runs the most wonderful cookery school in The
Lakes called Lucy Cooks and this provided me with much of the inspiration for
the book. It’s a truly magical place and although I've set Plumberry in
Yorkshire, the building is very much based on Lucy Cooks.
My
role model is my mum. She taught me to be independent, work hard and never give
up. My other role model is Lucy Nicholson, who owns the cookery school. She is
a brilliant business woman, tenacious and brimming with enthusiasm for life. I
love them both to pieces.
6.
How much of your book is realistic?
My
fiction is stylised of course, but I’d say pretty much all of it is realistic.
I’m not really a fan of fantasy.
7.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Wickham
Hall made number sixteen in the UK best sellers list in February, I’d dearly
like to make the Sunday Times Top Ten one day.
8.
Share one fact about yourself that would surprise people.
I
used to get Christmas cards every year from Timmy Mallett, much to the
amusement of my husband!
Verity Bloom hasn't been interested in cooking
anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she
lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.
But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks' time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she's home.
But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?
But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks' time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she's home.
But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?
Cathy Bramley Bio:
Cathy Bramley is the author of the best-selling
romantic comedies Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm, Wickham Hall, Conditional Love and
The Plumberry School of Comfort Food. She lives in a Nottinghamshire village
with her family and a dog.
Her recent career as a full-time writer of light-hearted, romantic fiction has come as somewhat of a lovely surprise after spending eighteen years running her own marketing agency. However, she has been always an avid reader, never without a book on the go and now thinks she may have found her dream job!
Cathy loves to hear from her readers. You can get in touch via her website www.CathyBramley.co.uk Facebook page Facebook.com/CathyBramleyAuthor or on Twitter https://twitter.com/CathyBramley
Her recent career as a full-time writer of light-hearted, romantic fiction has come as somewhat of a lovely surprise after spending eighteen years running her own marketing agency. However, she has been always an avid reader, never without a book on the go and now thinks she may have found her dream job!
Cathy loves to hear from her readers. You can get in touch via her website www.CathyBramley.co.uk Facebook page Facebook.com/CathyBramleyAuthor or on Twitter https://twitter.com/CathyBramley
Thanks for writing light-hearted books. The world needs more laughter!
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