BOOK FEATURE: Escape for the Summer

“Escape for the Summer” by Ruth Saberton

Blurb: 

Can Andi Evans find the strength to start again?

Betrayed and broken-hearted, redundancy is one shock too many for Andi. Suddenly single and in debt, a working holiday in the Cornish seaside town of Rock appears the perfect solution. Determined never to trust again, will a chance meeting with a stranger change her mind?

Disillusioned with useless boyfriends, Angel is determined to find a man who will keep her in style.  Heading to Rock, summer playground of the rich and the royals, seems an inspired move until a case of mistaken identity threatens a romance that has started to mean more than she expected…

Actress Gemma is no stranger to diets and disappointments. When the future of her career hangs in the balance, she prays moving to Rock solves her problems. With a new reality TV show being filmed in the idyllic seaside town, can she avoid pasties and ice creams for long enough to win a role?

Arriving in beautiful Cornwall, all three girls are hoping for a holiday season to remember.  But will this be for the right reasons? Or, as emotions run higher than the tide, will the summer escape turn their lives upside down?

* * * * *

…The real life inspiration for the book…

‘Escape for the Summer’ is the tale of three young women who, fed up with useless boyfriends/rubbish jobs/the city, throw caution to the wind and head to Cornwall.

There’s a great story behind this book, better than anything I could dream up!  It was late summer 2011 and my boyfriend and I were on the river for the annual Fowey Regatta when we noticed a hire boat careering around like crazy, driven by four twenty-something girls, all having the time of their lives and shrieking with contagious excitement. I instantly wondered who they were and why they were in Cornwall. Were they on a hen weekend?  A holiday?  Did they live nearby?  What on earth were doing on the water?  My mind started to whirl…

I wanted to ask them if I could take their picture but just as we were about to steer our boat over they almost crashed into us and, a few splashes later, we got chatting.  I managed to give them my email and took a few snaps on my mobile camera before they were gone, far away across the river and into my imagination.  When I arrived home that evening I began to make some notes and soon “Escape for the Summer” was taking shape.

Once the novel was written I really wanted to trace my girls, who in my mind had become Andi, Angel and Gemma from the book, and thank them for being the inspiration of “Escape for the Summer”.  I still had the picture I’d taken so I posted this onto my website and my Facebook Author page and crossed my fingers. A few weeks later I was thrilled to receive an email from one of the girls, Kelly, who couldn’t believe that I’d written a book inspired by them. A friend of hers had seen my website and was amazed to recognise the girls in my picture.  Kelly filled me in on their real identities and, although I hate to say it, the truth is even better than fiction!  One is a WAG, one a fashion designer, another works in fashion and the final girl is a teacher.  They were renting a cottage with four other friends and had all been to Uni together.  Every summer they meet up for a reunion holiday in Cornwall.  This year they are gathering for a wedding and there is even a baby on the way too.  This is quite a novel in itself and I’m very tempted to ask them for some more pictures!

I’ve sent each girl a copy of the book and they have promised to keep me up to date with their adventures.  I can hardly wait and my fingers are already poised over my keyboard!

Below is a picture Kelly emailed me – taken just before they all set sail – and those smiling faces really sum up the optimism, fun and friendship of my three heroines in “Escape for the Summer”. I hope my readers enjoy this  book every bit as much as I loved writing it.

Now to find out what happens next…

**About Ruth Saberton: Ruth is the Amazon top ten best-selling author of Weight Till Christmas, Rearranged, Katy Carter Wants a Hero, Ellie Andrews has Second Thoughts and Amber Scott is Starting Over. She also writes commercial women’s fiction under the pen names Jessica Fox, Lucy Hepburn and Georgie Carter. Ruth has been shortlisted for the RNA’s prestigious ‘Romantic Comedy of the Year’ award. Born and raised in the UK, Ruth is currently living in the Caribbean, on the beautiful island of Grand Cayman.

Ruth Saberton is represented by the Eve White Literary Agency (www.evewhite.co.uk). For further information please visit her website: www.ruthsaberton.co.uk.