Escape through the pages
When I was compiling today’s blog, the weather was grey and dismal. I know when the world outside is uninviting, I escape through reading. And I like to travel in a book. Jessie Cahalin’s story invites us to romantic, mysterious Paris as well as the equally beautiful, but different county of Yorkshire.
Writers often draw on their own experiences when they create their stories and I was interested to learn from Jessie how she felt about Paris. I was lucky to read an early version of A gift for Maisie and this beautiful city certainly came over as alluring and charming on those pages. I can’t wait to read the finished story.
But over to the author herself to fill us in on the background to her latest book.
A Gift for Maisie Bloom is the story of a newly qualified teacher who becomes an accidental sleuth and falls in love. Maisie travels from Yorkshire and Paris to investigate her aunt’s disappearance.
Someone once told me that each time you visit Paris, you fall a little more in love with the city. Paris captured my heart from the very first visit back in 1994, and it was a joy to send Maisie there and re-live my first experience of the magic of Paris.
I was almost the same age as Maisie when I first visited Paris. The café culture was exciting, and I pressed my face up against the windows of the patisseries. Paris introduced me to my first sip of good quality coffee with all the nutty chocolate notes. And how could I not fall in love with a place that served hot chocolate and pain au chocolat for breakfast, in a bistro teeming with glamorous people I had only ever seen in French films?
I’m LOVING this photo of Jessie looking very “parisienne” and chic herself on an early visit to Paris in the nineties
When writing the scenes in Paris we were in lockdown, so I indulged in the memories and walked the streets via Google Maps. There was also amazing YouTube footage to enjoy and films such as Midnight in Paris, Forget Paris and French Kiss. I also read a wonderful memoir written by an Australian woman who moved to Paris. It is entitled Almost French: A New Life in Paris by Sarah Turnbull and it is now out of print. However, it gave an insight into the quirky culture of the sophisticated city.
When I visited back in the nineties, I had stepped into the city without any of those visual prompts and let my senses make sense of the place. My memories served me well when writing the book, and the scenes played out like those in a film.
Paris and investigation swept me away as much as it did Maisie. She goes to Montmartre, in Paris’s northern 18th arrondissement, known for its artistic history. She visits Place du Tetre, Sacré Coeur and a vineyard in the city.
A Gift for Maisie Bloom is a romance with a twist of cosy mystery. I hope readers will enjoy being transported to Paris and Yorkshire in the pages of the novel.
More about: Gift for Maisie Bloom
You’re not supposed to fall in love when investigating your aunt’s disappearance.
When Maisie Bloom inherits her aunt’s cottage in Yorkshire, life is perfect, including her two love interests. But when mysterious mail and blog posts arrive, she discovers Aunt Ada was investigating the disappearance of a prolific author in Paris. Was it murder? Soon Maisie is hot on the trail.
But can you sleuth in Paris without falling in love?
Early reviews:
‘This wonderful mystery is a gift for readers who enjoy cozy crime, intrigue and romance. Loved Maisie and I want to solve more mysteries with her. More Please!’
Lizzie Lamb – RNA Indie Author Champion
‘Refreshingly different! Laugh-out-loud humour laced with whimsy, eccentric characters and delightful glimpses of the Yorkshire countryside and romantic Paris. Will Maisie find what she is searching for? I so enjoyed the journey. I love the pearls of wisdom sprinkled in this lovely story.’
Angela Petch – Bestselling author
Maisie is quite a unique character- a fascinating blend of innocence, creativity, joy, even zaniness. Loved her in this book and looking forward to seeing how her life and world evolve in future books. Congratulations! Readers are going to fall in love with Maisie. There are many other delightful characters, too. And we all love to read about small villages in Yorkshire!
Jena Henry – Award winning US podcaster and reviewer
A Gift for Maisie Bloom is all things delicious… Not one but two handsome heroes present themselves for your (and the heroine’s) approval. I defy you not to laugh out loud at the antics of the nosy neighbours. Do you like a glamorous background? Take a trip to Paris with Maisie in search of her errant aunt, dead – or not? – in a tragic accident while pursuing a mystery of her own.
P. Stoner – Author and journalist
‘It’s a gorgeous cosy mystery mashed up with romance and is all about books, love and family, starting in a Yorkshire village and then whisking you off to Paris. Full of humour, twists and turns, it’s a fab book to cosy up with.’
Kitty Wilson – Bestselling romance author
About Jessie:
Jessie is a Yorkshire author living in Wales, UK. Wales and words have a special place in her heart, and she wants everyone to meet the characters who’ve been hassling her for years. Penning women’s fiction is Jessie’s dream job, but she also enjoys writing travel articles and features for her blog. Besides writing, Jessie adores walking, talking, cooking and procrastinating. Oh, and she believes you can never have too many notebooks.
Website: https://jessiecahalin.com/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/@BooksInHandbag
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessiecahalinwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessieCahalinAuthor/
Book Links
Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-gift-for-maisie-bloom
Apple
Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=t9w7EQAAQBAJ&pli=1Thanks so much, Jessie. I really enjoyed our chat and I wish you all the very best with your new book.
And you haven’t aged at all!
