Guest Post: A Little Piece of Me by Vanessa Greene

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Vanessa Greene as the final stop on her blog tour for her latest book The Little Pieces of You and Me which was published last month.

'A little piece of me’: how friends make and stay with us

‘Who are you?’ I’m the same me I always was – sociable, messy, creative, adventurous, stubborn. But then a bit from here and there, like pieces of play-dough added to a lump. I’m a little of my friends from primary school, a lot of my friends from secondary, another lump for my first job – and well, you get the picture. Friends have made me, me, really.

I value and respect each friend I’ve been lucky enough to keep for the person they are now. I enjoy their company when we have the time to meet up. But friendship is more than that, I think. Because even if I never saw them again, the change is made, there would always be an indelible mark. Friends are part of me. My way of looking at the world was formed together with these people and I can’t un-know what they taught me.

Friends and friendship are a kind of magic – they bring warmth and invite opportunities. Friends are often the unsung heroes of our lives. They, in themselves, may not be the Happily Ever After – but the Happily Ever After couldn’t happen without them.

Books Read: Vanessa Greene - The Seafront Tea Rooms

The Seafront Tea Rooms is a peaceful hideaway, away from the bustle of the seaside, and in this quiet place a group of women find exactly what they've been searching for.

Charismatic journalist Charlotte is on a mission to scope out Britain's best tea rooms. She knows she's found something special in the Seafront Tea Rooms but is it a secret she should share? Kathryn, a single mother whose only sanctuary is the 'Seafront', convinces Charlie to keep the place out of her article by agreeing to join her on her search. Together with another regular, Seraphine, a culture-shocked French au pair with a passion for pastry-making, they travel around the country discovering quaint hideaways and hidden gems. But what none of them expect is for their journey to surprise them with discoveries of a different kind...

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Blogiversary Giveaway #5: Win a copy of The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Greene

Last week I had the chance to have a teatime chat with Vanessa Greene as part of her blog tour for her latest novel The Seafront Tea Rooms which can be read here. 

And thanks to Vanessa's publishers I was also given the opportunity to give away a copy of The Seafront Tea Rooms as part of my blogiversary celebrations this week.  
The Seafront Tea Rooms is a peaceful hideaway, away from the bustle of the seaside, and in this quiet place a group of women find exactly what they've been searching for.

Charismatic journalist Charlotte is on a mission to scope out Britain's best tea rooms. She knows she's found something special in the Seafront Tea Rooms but is it a secret she should share? Kathryn, a single mother whose only sanctuary is the 'Seafront', convinces Charlie to keep the place out of her article by agreeing to join her on her search. Together with another regular, Seraphine, a culture-shocked French au pair with a passion for pastry-making, they travel around the country discovering quaint hideaways and hidden gems. But what none of them expect is for their journey to surprise them with discoveries of a different kind...

Author Interview: Vanessa Greene

Today I'm joined by Vanessa Greene for a teatime chat to talk about tea rooms, cakes, and of course about her fab new book The Seafront Tea Rooms which was published last Thursday.

Are you a creature of habit and have the same thing for afternoon tea or do you like to sample the menus?
I try to be open to new things and like to taste the tea room’s specialities – and I’ve had some delicious lavender and lemon drizzle cake that way – but I’m also a fan of the classics. I can’t resist a slice of Battenberg. 

If you could have afternoon tea with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why? 
The artist Frida Kahlo. She lived through extraordinary times and despite being bed-bound for much of her life still managed to create beautiful artworks. I think she’d be a really inspiring woman to share a bit of cake with! 

Now let's talk The Seafront Tea Rooms...  

The Seafront Tea Rooms is a peaceful hideaway, away from the bustle of the seaside, and in this quiet place a group of women find exactly what they've been searching for.

Books Read: Vanessa Greene - Tuesdays at the Teacup Club

A lot can change in a year . . . 

The children's books Jenny writes and illustrates from her countryside studio are doing well, and after a lifetime of looking after everyone else, she's finally putting herself first. Meanwhile,Maggie's ordered world is thrown into chaos when her baby son Stan arrives. Candlelit baths have made way for endless night feeds, and she and partner Owen are struggling to find any time for themselves. It's been a long year of financial sacrifice, but working-mum Alison has fulfilled her dream at last - she is now the proud co-owner of a café and art gallery. 

But when Alison's happiness is threatened and news from home shocks Jenny back to reality, the women must band together. Suddenly their friendship is more important than ever. 

Books Read: Vanessa Greene - The Vintage Teacup Club

At a car boot sale in Sussex, three very different women meet and fall for the same vintage teaset. They decide to share it - and form a friendship that changes their lives . . . 

Jenny can't wait to marry Dan. Then, after years of silence, she hears from the woman who could shatter her dreams.

Maggie has put her broken heart behind her and is gearing up for the biggest event of her career - until she's forced to confront the past once more.

Alison seems to have it all: married to her childhood sweetheart, with two gorgeous daughters. But as tensions mount, she is pushed to breaking point.