Interview with the wonderful Petra Quelch, discussing The Little Cottage in the Country

Welcome to my stop on this summery blog tour! I have a fantastic Q&A with Lottie Phillips for you to read and get to know the author behind The Little Cottage in the Country. There is also a Giveaway for you to enter!
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Virtual cup of tea/coffee with

Lottie Phillips:

Do you prefer tea or coffee when you write/read?
Tea! I always forget to put tea in my acknowledgements but it deserves to be there. Without tea, there would be no books…

There have been plenty of books with a charming little cottage theme, do you think the way to a reader’s heart is through a book with a idyllic countryside theme and lovable tight-knit community?
It’s true, and I think it comes down to escapism. Sometimes we need to get away from the hubbub of the city or the stress of our everyday lives and read about pretty houses, bluebells and the wonderful activities that take place in rural communities. I live in the countryside and I never tire of reading about this setting. It holds so much charm and beauty, perfect for any romance…

Do you have any writing rituals?
Well, other than drinking copious amounts of tea, I have to work in an ordered space – I can’t stand mess! If the house is a mess, my mind is a mess. I also set a word-count every day and I have to meet it before I can stop. I’m not one for editing as I go, for me it’s all about the flow of the story and bringing that world to life.
Oh, and wine. That’s something to aim for at the end of the day.

Where is your favourite place to write?
At my desk, surrounded by books and flowers. I can write anywhere but as I have a toddler, desk-time means I may actually get something done! If I’m anywhere else, I’m likely to be clambered over!

Who inspire you to become an author?
I have been reading the whole of my life so when I was young Roald Dahl was god-like and, of course, Nancy Drew was one of the most exciting girls on the planet! I write crime too so in that respect it would have to be Claire Seeber and Sophie Hannah but, in terms of romantic comedy, I adore Helen Fielding.

How long did you spend researching your book?
I research as I go. Quite often the world we know is the best one to write and Trumpsey Blazey is very like the world I know. Well, I haven’t yet flung myself down a hill with a porkpie but the day is young…

Was it hard to switch between genres?
No, amazingly not but I feel very comfortable and ‘at home’ when writing comedy.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
How much the characters mean to me and none more so than the women in The Little Cottage in the Country.

Can you tell me something we readers/bloggers don’t know about you yet? 🙂
That quite often I feel like I’m a character in one of my romantic comedies! Well, you know, who wants to be perfect anyway?
Oh, and that I love a good chinwag (do say hello over on Twitter if you do too!), buying shoes and dancing. On tables.

​Thank you so much, Lottie!