Let’s Talk Books with Jessica Redland
Welcome to the second in my brand-new series of author/bookish people interviews. As you probably know by now I absolutely love books and reading, and I know many other people do, too. I thought it would be nice to chat to some of my bookish friends and find out about the books they love, and the reading experiences they’ve had.
The series kicked off in March with Eliza J Scott and if you missed it you can read that here. Today, I’m delighted to welcome my fabulous, multi-million selling friend, Jessica Redland to the blog.
Welcome to Let’s Talk Books, Jessica. It’s great to have you here. I have cake! But before we dig in and forget all about books, I’d better start asking some questions, don’t you think? So, question one. Can you remember the first book you ever read or owned?
My earliest bookish memories are of the gorgeous Ladybird fairytale books – the ones with the classic illustrations from the 1960s/1970s. I had some of them and my older brother had others. I was obsessed with Cinderella. The second time she goes to the ball, she wears a blue dress and it’s absolutely stunning. I used to imagine that I was magical and had the power to make pictures come to life. Not sure when I’d have worn it but I wanted that dress!
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Oh, the Ladybird Well-Loved Tales! We had lots of those in the house when I was little. I have an old copy of Dick Whittington, and I bought my sister a copy of The Elves and The Shoemaker and my brother The Gingerbread Man for Christmas a few years ago, as they were their favourites when they were little. My mum and I loved Beauty and the Beast. What was your favourite book when you were a child?
I’d struggle to pick out a favourite book but I can definitely pick out a favourite author: Enid Blyton. I read the Faraway Tree series, The Famous Five and Malory Towers over and over. My goodness, that woman could tell a page-turning story!
Ooh! And there were two books by Sheila Lavelle called My Best Fiend and The Fiend Next Door about best friends Charlie and Angela. Angela is always getting Charlie into trouble and is more of a fiend than a friend, hence the title, although I still smart about losing marks on a book report at senior school for allegedly misspelling the title. I was a bit scared of the teacher so didn’t dare tell him I had it right!
I remember you telling me before about My Best Fiend. The teacher should have checked! So many people pick Enid Blyton as their favourite childhood author, myself included. If you were going to reread one children’s book now, which would you choose and why?
Towards the end of my time in primary school, the whole class read was a book called Run for Your Life by David Line. Written in 1966, it tells the story of schoolboy Woolcott who befriends a Hungarian lad called Szolda (although Woolcott calls him Soldier because he can’t pronounce it). After overhearing a conversation between two men plotting a murder, the boys try to alert the adults but, of course, nobody believes them. So they set out to prove it and put themselves in extreme danger.
It was completely different to anything I’d read before and I remember being totally gripped by this story. I tracked down a copy several years ago and it has been sitting on my bookshelves ever since as there’s part of me afraid to read it and find it’s not nearly as gripping as I recall!
I’ve never heard of that one! Sounds interesting, but I understand the fear. I’ve read a few childhood favourites in recent years and they haven’t had the same impact on me - but some have! And it’s worth it for the nostalgia alone, so maybe one day…? What’s your favourite book as an adult? Why is it your favourite?
This is a little embarrassing to admit when I’m an author but I don’t actually read that many books. I used to love reading but, sadly, writing had diminished my enjoyment. I spend so much time reading my own work with a critical editing head on and I find it incredibly difficult to switch that editing head off when reading for pleasure.
I therefore go back to the first adult book I read, although I was thirteen when I read it – Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews. A schoolfriend loaned it to me and I was a little daunted by how fat it was, having never read anything close to that length before, but I couldn’t put it down. It’s such a gripping story and even more so when you know it’s inspired by a true story. I read the entire series so often that my copies fell apart. I’ve repurchased them but, again, I’m a little afraid to dive in in case they’re not as good as I recall.
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It’s such a shame that you can’t switch off the critical head when you read. I just get lost in the story. I suspect that says a lot about me! I remember reading Flowers in the Attic and a couple of its sequels when I was in my late teens/early twenties and I was gripped by them. Do you write in your favourite genre? If not, which genre/s do you love to read?
Yes. I write contemporary women’s fiction or cosy community romance if you like. I tend to read books set in cosy communities. I also enjoy crime but I don’t get to read many of them with being such a slow reader.
Now, I’ve asked you this question before and you’ve always struggled to answer it, but let’s try again! Which of your own books is your favourite, and why?
Argh! You can’t ask me that! I’ve just finished writing my thirtieth so that’s a lot to choose from. I have so many I love for different reasons.
If I need to pick just one, it’ll have to be Coming Home to Seashell Cottage. This is the third book I wrote and the last in what, at the time, was a trilogy. I later wrote a prequel to the series so it’s now book four of four in the Welcome to Whitsborough Bay series.
Why’s it my favourite? When I started writing, I planned to write romantic comedies and the first book I penned is fairly light. The second one deals with some slightly heavier subjects but the third is deeper still.
Coming Home to Seashell Cottage is Clare’s story. She’s a main character in the previous two books and is presented as sharp-tongued, spiky and aloof. I wasn’t sure what her story was but, when it became her turn to step into the spotlight, it turned out she had quite the emotional story to unpack. That was the moment I discovered who I was as a writer and it was a real turning point for me about the type of books I wanted to write – emotional but uplifting reads or, to use my tagline, stories that bring the sunshine after the rain.
Well done on narrowing it down! Talking of your own books, which of them has your favourite cover and why?
This is easier to answer although it is a tie between two. I love the covers for my Escape to the Lakes series. They all feature a lake and the fells, giving a strong sense of place, and they’re more ‘grown-up’ than some of my other covers. I’m completely in love with the covers for A Breath of Fresh Air (book 2) and Tomorrow Starts Today (book 5). They capture the feeling of those books so perfectly and they’re such beautiful images.
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I love the Lakes covers. I have them all in hardback, as you know! Who is your favourite book character? Why do you like them so much?
It would have to be Paddington Bear! Oh my goodness, he is so adorable. I love his kindness and wisdom. And, of course, he’s a bear and I’m obsessed with bears. I want a Paddington and I don’t mean a stuffed toy version as I already have a couple of those. I want a real Paddington!
Haha, I should have guessed that answer! But who doesn’t love Paddington? What’s your favourite book to TV/film adaptation?
It would have to be the TV adaptation of Anne of Green Gables – the mini-series from the mid-80s starring Megan Follows as Anne Shirley and Jonathan Crombie (RIP) as Gilbert Blythe. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
The book features in my winter release from last year, Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop, as it’s main character Lily’s favourite book and she dreams of meeting her own Gilbert Blythe. I’d owned the series on video and had cleared out all my videos years ago but I tracked down a DVD version and watched it again as part of my book research. What a delight.
I read all of the books when I was younger and, as well as rewatching the series, I reread the first book as part of my research – also a delight. The casting for the mini-series is genius and so perfect for how the characters are conveyed in the books.
I never saw that adaptation. For me it was the 1970s adaptation starring Kim Braden as Anne with Jan Francis as Diana Barry. Sadly, the BBC wiped the tapes so I’ll never be able to watch it again. Sigh. What’s the most beautiful or precious book you’ve ever owned? Why is it so special?
I do like a hardback. When I met the hubby, he subscribed to The Folio Society who release stunning special editions of books. We have some gorgeous fairytale books but my most precious ones are two boxsets of Beatrix Potter’s books. Each individual book looks just like the original releases from F. Warne & Co and they’re absolutely gorgeous.
The first book in my Escape to the Lakes series, The Start of Something Wonderful, is about an illustrator called Autumn who has lost her creative sparkle and visits her penfriend in the Lakes in the hope that treading in Potter’s footsteps will help reignite it. I had many special moments flicking through the boxset and reading the books as inspiration for Autumn’s story.
Sometimes, when I close a book I just feel so awed by the writing or moved by the story that I can’t help thinking, Wow, I wish I’d written that! It happened recently with Hamnet. Which book do you wish you’d written?
I honestly don’t know. I wish I could give a clever answer to this. Do I go for a book which has made millions? Do I go for a beautiful story? On reflection, I think I’m happy with the books that I’ve written because they’re part of me. They’ve all sprung from a seed of an idea, I know how much hard work and energy has gone into them, and I’m proud of each and every one of them.
Finally, Jessica, can you tell us about your next book?
Hopes and Dreams at The Chocolate Pot Café is my next release, out tomorrow (3rd April) in all formats except audio which will be out on 3rd May (slight delay due to the availability of the voice actor).
It’s set on Castle Street – a cobbled street full of independent shops and cafes in the fictional North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitsborough Bay – and is the second visit to The Chocolate Pot.
Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café was an indie release from me in late 2018 and, towards the end of the book, two characters appear who have the potential to change the lives of main characters Tara and Jed. The plan was always to write sequel but, the following year, I secured a publishing contract with Boldwood Books. They released my backlist alongside new titles and the sequel to Starry Skies was always on the radar but we just couldn’t quite find the time to slot it into the schedule. It’s finally here!
Hopes and Dreams picks up where Starry Skies leaves off but I’ve deliberately written it to work as a standalone story so readers can dive straight in, even if they haven’t read the first book.
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Here’s the blurb to whet your appetite:
Sometimes all your hopes and dreams really do come true…
Life at the Chocolate Pot Café has never been sweeter for Tara Porter. Nestled on Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay, her café is thriving, her friendships are close, her foster parents are back where they belong—and she’s finally let herself fall in love with artist Jed Ferguson.
For Jed, returning from Australia feels like coming home in every sense. His teenage daughters have settled, his gallery opening is a success, and with Tara by his side, the future looks full of promise.
But the past can’t stay at bay forever.
When Tara’s estranged foster sister reappears, old wounds resurface. And when Jed is reunited with twelve year old Aaron - a boy he once believed was his son - secrets unravel and loyalties are tested.
Now Tara and Jed must decide whether facing the past will shatter everything they’ve built—or hope it gives them the strength and courage to dream again.
Warm, heartfelt and hopeful, Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café is a story of love, forgiveness and second chances.
Thank you so much for inviting me as a guest on your Bookish Chat, Sharon.
It was a pleasure to have you here, Jessica. Now, let’s crack on with that cake!
About Jessica
Jessica Redland lives in Scarborough on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast in the UK. Her home inspired the creation of the fictional seaside town of Whitsborough Bay where she sets many of her books. The Hedgehog Hollow series and Bumblebee Barn Collection take readers to a gorgeous countryside setting on the Yorkshire Wolds. In July 2023, she added the lakes and mountains to her settings with the start of her 'Escape to the Lakes' series.
She lives with her husband and sprocker spaniel, Ella. She’s a self-confessed stationery addict with a notepad obsession who loves chocolate (although it doesn't love her), hedgehogs, 80s music, collectible teddy bears and lighthouses.
Her career has mainly been in HR as a trainer and recruiter, though she had a brief detour into retail to set up and manage her own specialist teddy bear shop and started writing her debut novel on quiet days in the shop.
In June 2020, she became a full-time author, and still can't believe she gets to spend every day chatting to her fictional friends and making stuff up.
You can find out more about Jessica by visiting her website
Follow her on Facebook
Find her on X: @JessicaRedland
Follow her on Instagram
Find her on Pinterest
Or join Redland’s Readers (Facebook group exclusively for readers of her books)
Links to author landing pages:
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3tNQgh9
Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/3ne3zU9
Audible UK: https://adbl.co/3n8jOlK
Look out for another Let’s Talk With feature very soon!
