 |
| Rebecca Raisin |
I’ve just released The Bookshop on the
Corner, a novella set in the town of Ashford, which is the same town Christmas
at the Gingerbread Café and Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café is set in. While The Bookshop on the Corner features
some of the same characters it’s a stand-alone book.
It was as though the girls
from the café weren’t through with me and kept butting themselves into the new
story! I thought I’d share the dream cast with
you, if The Bookshop were to be a movie!
 |
| Audrey Tautou |
So for my main character, Sarah Smith –
owner of the secondhand bookshop and bookworm extraordinaire I pictured Audrey
Tautou, the actress from the movie Amelie. She’s whimsical and quirky like
Sarah!
Missy is Sarah’s best friend and owner of
The Sassy Salon. She’s a real sweetheart and as Sarah says in the book, “Missy
had a tendency to speak loudly, and peppered her dialogue with
compliments.” And Sarah describes
Missy’s appearance like this, “She was all bouffant auburn curls, and thick Hollywood-esque
make-up, and the type of person that made you smile just by setting eyes on
her.” So I pictured a sassy, big haired Helena
Bonham-Carter.
 |
| Helena Bonham-Carter |
Then there’s Ridge, the sexy suave reporter
from New York City. I kept changing my ideal Ridge each day, but maybe that was
so I could look up photos of hot black-haired men on Pinterest under the guise
of research… I just stumbled on this hot fella! I don’t
know what his name is but I’m pretty sure he’d make a perfect Ridge! Look at
those eyes! He just screams trouble!
(Note from Isabell: This hot fella is Tom Welling! I absolutely agree and love this choice!)
 |
| Tom Welling |
A little bit about the town… I chose
Ashford, Connecticut after researching because I wanted to use a real town, a
small town, and one where it snowed at Christmas! Here is a picture of Ashford from http://www.ashfordtownhall.org/
which I think sums up the loveliness of the place. It’s a small community, a
place where everyone knows everyone and their business, but at the end of the
day, it’s a place where the townsfolk look after one another. In summer there’s plenty to do, there’s the
lake, and the forests, and in winter you simply head on over to The Gingerbread
Café, and warm yourself by the fire!
 |
| Ashford, Connecticut |
In my fictional Ashford, I have used a main
street, where all the shops face one another, but I don’t think the real Ashford
is like that. It’s a lot more spread out than my fictional businesses. I have The Gingerbread Café on one side,
which sits opposite Damon’s small goods shop. Next to the small goods shop is
Walt and Janey’s furniture store. Next to that is Sarah’s bookshop! And if
you’re still with me, across the road again, and a few steps up from the café
is Missy’s Salon. In the mix elsewhere is the local town hall, and a bath shop
where Mary-Rose makes the most exquisite bath bombs. Missy’s husband works at a Dairy on the
outskirts of Ashford, and there’s also a French restaurant not too far away
either. One teeny tiny little hint…there’s a
particular farm not too far away, where a completely dazzling young man
lives…Whatever could his story be about?
I cannot say anymore! A little more on the Bookshop itself…
 |
| Sarah in her bookshop |
This is how I picture Sarah during a
typical work day at the Bookshop. In Ashford no one hurries, it’s one of those
places where it takes twenty minutes to buy a loaf of bread because you get to
talking… It’s no different in the bookshop, where Sarah is often drawn to a
certain book and feels compelled to stop everything and read. Picture taken from Pinterest
This is how I envisage the back room of the
bookshop, in the story there’s also an old purple chaise which Sarah uses when
she reads during the day, because it has a view of the garden out back. She
says this in the story: “Work
is piling up at the bookshop because I’ve been stuck staring out of the back
window into the rose garden for some inexplicable reason…” Something is distracting her! And I can’t
imagine anything more beautiful than reading inside the lovely dimly lit
bookshop, with shards of sunlight settling on you, and the scent of roses
permeating the room…
 |
| another room in the bookshop |
This is another picture of another room in
the bookshop. Picture taken from Tumblr
I love this and all it entails. Beautiful
books piled on any available space, a walk way through to another mysterious
room where treasure abounds. Sarah’s bookshop may seem disorganised but that’s
the beauty of it. Spending time searching for that special book is part of the
fun.
Scattered through the bookshop are various
nook and crannies where you can perch for the day and read. Sarah is a big
believer that everyone should have the ability to read great books, even more
so if money is tight. She lends books, or gives them away if need be, but you
can also come to The Bookshop on the Corner and read whenever you like.
Here’s a spot that look quite comfortable.
And there’s coffee and tea in the kitchen, just go on and help yourself!
Thank you for having me here today, Isabell
and guests! I hope you find that special book, and please drop by The Bookshop
on the Corner…You’ll never want to leave.
The Bookshop on the Corner
Who said that only real heroes could be found in fiction?
Sarah Smith had an addiction – she was addicted to romance novels. The meet-cute, the passion, the drama and the gorgeous men! Now this wouldn’t have been such an issue if she hadn’t been the owner of the only bookshop in Ashford, Connecticut.
Ever since her close friend Lil, from The Gingerbread Café, had become engaged she had been yearning for a little love to turn up in her life. Except Sarah knew a good man was hard to find – especially in a tiny town like Ashford. That was until New York journalist, Ridge Warner stepped into her bookshop…
Love could be just around the corner for Sarah, but will she be able to truly believe that happy-ever-after can happen in real-life too!
Sarah Smith had an addiction – she was addicted to romance novels. The meet-cute, the passion, the drama and the gorgeous men! Now this wouldn’t have been such an issue if she hadn’t been the owner of the only bookshop in Ashford, Connecticut.
Ever since her close friend Lil, from The Gingerbread Café, had become engaged she had been yearning for a little love to turn up in her life. Except Sarah knew a good man was hard to find – especially in a tiny town like Ashford. That was until New York journalist, Ridge Warner stepped into her bookshop…
Love could be just around the corner for Sarah, but will she be able to truly believe that happy-ever-after can happen in real-life too!
4 Kommentare
Wonderful post ladies, loved reacting it! xx
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I loved reading it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, girls! I loved writing this! Thanks for having me Isabell! xxx
ReplyDeleteThis post was great! I just purchased the book and now I am following the blog. Thanks for a great interview.
ReplyDelete