TWG talks to blogger royalty, Rebecca Pugh (@beccasbooksuk)! #spotlight @UKCarina

I am sure most (if not all) of you know the gem that has stopped by for a chat today. If you don’t, I want to know where the Daffodil have you been! Maybe in your home in Sunset Bay? Or did you return to Bluebell Hill?
Well, at least you’re here now, but please do refrain from foul language as I have -whispers- blogger royalty with me today, and I don’t wish to scare her off!

Author of Return to Bluebell Hill, A Home in Sunset Bay and most recently; Down on Daffodil Lane, Rebecca Pugh is here! I was lucky enough to nab her for a chat, and seeing as TWG is rather nosy, I didn’t hold back either! Enjoy!

TWG: Hi Rebecca, thank you for stopping by TWG! It’s your very first time here so I hope I don’t scare you away! Before we begin, could you tell my readers a little bit about you and your background please?

Absolutely! First of all, I’d like to thank you for hosting me on your wonderful blog, Kaisha. I’m certain you won’t scare me away!

My name’s Rebecca Pugh and I live in the green county of Shropshire UK with my partner and Bonnie the dog. I’m an avid writer, reader and book reviewer. I’m the eldest of seven children, so I come from a lovingly chaotic family, where dinner is noisy and squabbles are often overheard. I’m the author of Return to Bluebell Hill, A Home in Sunset Bay and the recently released Down on Daffodil Lane, all of which are published by Carina UK.

 

TWG: I like to help my guests warm up a little bit, so I am going to do give you a quick fire round. Is that okay? Fab. You can only choose one!

Round 1: Quick fire round.

Manicure or pedicure?

Manicure, definitely.

Flat shoes or high heels?

Flat shoes.

Paperback or hardback?

Paperback.

Hair up or hair down?

Down.

Looking pristine or looking casual?

Casual, always.

Chic lit or psychological thrillers?

No! How can you make me choose? I’m massive fan of both but I’ll go with my first love which was and always will be chic lit.

Now time to be sensible, ish. Hope you enjoy those!

TWG: You are a very well known blogger, what made you decide to start writing your own books?

I’d wanted to write well before I began blogging. I suppose, in a way, blogging gave me an extra confidence boost before finally taking that nerve-wracking step towards submitting my work. I’ve always been in awe of authors and how they manage to take readers away from real life, even if just for a few hours a day. My hope is to be able to achieve that too.

TWG: Out of the three books you have written, which one is your favourite?

I think it may be A Home in Sunset Bay. I had so much fun writing this one, and the sister aspect is something that will always be close to my heart. I adored the setting of Sunset Bay too, as I love being beside the sea, and Dolly’s Diner was an absolute joy to create! Mia and Laurie will always hold a special place in my heart.

TWG: Where do you get your inspiration from for writing your books?

Here, there and everywhere! A real mixture of real life and my own imagination. Songs, pictures, things I’ve heard or seen. Life is the best place to gather your ideas from.

TWG: When I started my blog, you were one of the first bloggers I noticed. What made you decide to start your own blog?

After finishing a book, I really needed somewhere to share my thoughts and feelings, and after a bit of a peek on the internet, I found a few book blogs and thought, ‘I’d love to do this!’ It seemed perfect, and after a few reviews, I began to find my way. I find book reviewing cathartic. It’s a great way to let loose your thoughts and share them with other readers around the world. The book community is one I’m forever proud and happy to be a part of. It also allowed me to chat with other authors too, which never loses its sparkle.

TWG: How do you switch from author to blogger mode?

Oh, what a great question! I don’t think I really ‘switch’ between the two. Both involve writing which is something I love doing either way. When working on my own books, I set myself word-count goals etc. so I get a lot more organised that way, and a lot stricter too. 

TWG: You strike me as a very upbeat and positive person, but, which book title would you choose to sum up your dark times?

I think I’ll choose ‘Beneath the Surface’ by Heidi Perks.

TWG: This is probably going to be a tricky one to answer, who are your favourite authors?

Jill Mansell, Holly Martin, Kath McGurl, Alexandra Brown, Sophie Kinsella. And then for the darker side of fiction, I’ll say Angela Marsons, Caroline Mitchell, Robert Bryndza and Stephen King.

TWG: What were your favourite books to read as a child and why?

Oh, gosh. I read so many books as a little girl, but the ones I absolutely LOVED were the Goosebumps series, and the Point Horror collection. I was always in the school library wanting to borrow these and must have gone through them all tons of times during my time there. I loved how creepy and strange they were, and became obsessed with the TV series of Goosebumps too. I think I liked them so much because each of them had a lesson to be learnt too.

TWG: Your latest novel ‘Down on Daffodil Lane’ was published recently, congratulations! What was your inspiration behind that particular book? I love the title by the way!

Thank you so much, Kaisha, I’m thrilled you love the title too.

My inspiration for Down on Daffodil Lane came to me one day as I was thinking about what it would be like for someone to need to get away and take some time out from life. We’ve all been there, right? I was going through a particularly rough patch at the time and would have loved nothing more than to head to a cottage in the countryside for some peace and quiet while I sorted myself out. Maria Charm was a woman who desperately needed this. I wanted to give this woman a new lease of life when things were going so badly for her, and so I whisked her away to Daffodil Lane where the promise of new friendships, a new job and perhaps even a new romance were on the cards.

TWG: One last question before you go, what can TWG readers look forward to seeing from you next?

I’m currently working on my fourth novel with Carina UK. I don’t have much to share on it just yet, but it should be arriving Spring/Summer of 2017. As soon as I have more to share, I most definitely will! I can’t wait to have another book out there with readers.

TWG: Do you have any exclusives for us?

Unfortunately not, at the moment, but I’ll keep you posted!

TWG: Thank you so much for being here with TWG today, I hope you have enjoyed the interview! It’s been great getting to know you a little bit more. Good luck with your latest release!

Thank you so much for inviting me here, Kaisha. The questions have been fabulous and I’ve really enjoyed it. Happy blogging! x

Huge, HUGE, thank you to Rebecca for stopping by TWG and answering a few (cough) questions! Please do come back and see me on the blog anytime you wish, it’s been an honour to have you with me today!

For those that want to know where you can get your mitts on Rebecca’s beautiful books, keep reading…

About Rebecca Pugh.

Rebecca Pugh grew up in the green county of Shropshire. Not an immediate reader, it took her a while to find her way towards the wonderful fictional words hidden between the pages of books. Ever since, she’s fallen under the spell of countless authors and the tales they’ve weaved. Her favourite authors include Jill Mansell, Cathy Bramley, Sarah Morgan and Holly Martin, to name but a few. She loves nothing more than tapping away at the keyboard, taking her characters from imagination to page and, when that isn’t the case, she adores curling up with a good book.

Rebecca is a fan of fairy tale romances that sweep you off your feet, dashing heroes and strong, lovable heroines. She can’t make up her mind whether she prefers a countryside escape, or a love story set in bustling New York. Either way, she’s more than happy to disappear into both.

When it comes to her own writing, Rebecca aims to whisk readers away to desirable locations, where they can meet characters who, she hopes, will begin to feel like friends. With a dash of romance here, and a shake-up of things there, she loves dreaming up stories and watching them come to life.

Links:
Book links

Rebecca’s books on Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebecca-Pugh/e/B00ZOU3L9I/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1471946366&sr=1-1

Rebecca’s books on Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Pugh/e/B00ZOU3L9I/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1471946366&sr=1-1

Social Media Links

Twitter – https://twitter.com/beccasbooksUK