AN INTRODUCTION FROM ASHLEY CAIN
Briefly introduce yourself
I’m originally from Yorkshire but swapped the dales for the coast of Dorset, although in between I’ve lived in London, France and on the island of Jersey. I’ve read mystery books from an early age; I grew up on the novels of Agatha Christie, M.C. Beaton and Marian Babson and always wanted to write my own, once I’d written the first one I found I loved it so much I couldn’t stop. As well as writing I’m also an Antique Dealer, Tarot Reader and Feng Shui Consultant, all rich veins to tap for mysteries.
Briefly introduce The Channel Islands Mystery.
The story follows April Hart who owns the Sea Breeze Bakery in Gull Bay. April has returned to Jersey after inheriting her grandmother’s cottage and cafe in Gull Bay which she renovates and turns into the Sea Breeze Bakery. It appears that someone doesn’t want her to succeed or stay on the island as a series of misfortunes occur which she first believe are accidents but then has to accept are deliberate attempts to sabotage her business. Along with her friends and co-workers Rachel and Miguel, and her late grandmother’s best friend Hope, she tries to work out who is behind the attempts, and why, before someone loses their life.
What has been your writing journey so far?
I always wanted to be a writer, but growing up in Yorkshire in the seventies and eighties had no idea how to go about becoming one, so went to work in a bank. However, the dream stayed in the back of my mind, and when Amazon made it easy to self-publish on their platform I started to write and publish non-fiction books on a variety of subjects under a number of different names. I think I published about 50 books in a ten year timeframe. But I always wanted to write a fiction book and during the COVID pandemic, living in Jersey with no job to distract me, I decided it was now or never. And the Gull Bay cozy mystery series was born.
What can readers expect from the rest of the series?
A crime wave seems to hit Gull Bay, the number of murders in a small village in such a short space of time must make it one of the most dangerous places to live in the world, which is ironic really given that Jersey is known as one of the safest places to live in the British Isles. All the books are standalone books, but as the series progresses April develops her business, a romance or two develops and we find out a lot more about Hope who has a secret or two to reveal.
What are you currently reading?
I read as I write and so I usually have a couple of books that I am reading, and I flick between them as the mood takes me. I've just returned from holiday where I read a couple of Rebecca Tope’s novels from two different series; A Dirty Death and The Windermere Witness. I’ve also recently gone back to John Grisham, I used to read all his books as soon as they were released but haven’t read one for a few years. I’m halfway through The Widow.