Chris Penhall interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Chris Penhall won the 2019 Choc-Lit Search for a Star competition, sponsored by Your Cat Magazine, for her debut novel, The House That Alice Built. The sequel, New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun was published in August 2020. Both are available in paperback, e-book and audio and are part of the Portuguese Paradise series. Finding Summer Happiness, which is set in Pembrokeshire in South-West Wales is available in e-book, audio and paperback

The House on the Hill - A Summer in the Algarve, the third novel in the Portuguese Paradise series, was published in e-book and audio in the summer of 2022.

A lover of books, music and cats, she is also an enthusiastic salsa dancer, a keen cook, and loves to travel. She is never happier than when she is gazing at the sea.

When did your love of books begin?

I have always loved books and read them avidly as a child. There were always novels around the house, mainly borrowed from our local library, but some were treasured gifts. My auntie Jean gave me What Katy Did, What Katy Did at School and What Katy Did Next by Susan Coolidge for one of my birthdays and I remember how excited I felt when I unrawrapped them. I always have a book on the go – they are my way of escaping into other worlds and getting a glimpse into other people’s imaginations

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I can’t remember not wanting to become an author. I once wrote a very, very short story when I was about 6 or 7 for an open evening at my school. It was called My Dream Horse, and I had illustrated it with a drawing of a horse. Unfortunately, it was transcribed onto the large display paper that went on the wall as My Dream House! I think my writing at that age wasn’t as good as it is now. Anyway, I was still thrilled with the fact I’d got a story out there and looking back it probably seemed to anyone who didn’t know what had happened that I had quite a mature grasp of linguistic tools in that I appeared to use the horse metaphor to help describe a house.

I’ve never owned a horse by the way, but I do own a house…

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I started writing when I lived in Cascais in Portugal. My daughters were both at school for the first time and I had time to let my imagination fly and put some words on paper. Plus, I was inspired by my change in surroundings and the beauty and vibrancy of the place I was lucky enough to be living.  So, I wrote a few stories to pass the time but with no real idea what to do with them. When we moved back to the U.K I put that to one side for various reasons and came back to writing fiction many years later. This time I began writing what would turn out to be my first published novel, The House That Alice Built.  It took a long time as I just dabbled in it, but as I progressed, I realised I really wanted to get it published. So, I did an online course which helped me to develop the characters and actually finish the story. I then sent it out to many rejections until I got one that said I should work on it a bit more as it had potential. So, I found a mentor, made a lot of changes to the structure, sent it out again and won the Choc Lit Search For a Star competition is 2019. I’ve had three more novels published since then and am writing my 5^th. 

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Firstly, I would say that you should never give up on your dreams because it’s not just the achieving of them that matters but the experiences you have along the way.

Also, you need to write because that’s what is important even more than getting the books published – you really have to love doing it for the sake of it as you never know what will happen when you’ve finished writing.

I would recommend you read avidly and join groups where you can connect with other people who are writing – it makes you feel you are part of a community and that can be a real motivator.

And be open and learn as you go along – that’s half the fun!

Tell us about your book/books:

I describe my books as uplifting stories set in gorgeous places and are all contemporary romantic comedies

I have written three books in my Portuguese Paradise series:

The first two – The House That Alice Built and New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun follow the story of Alice Matthews who runs away from the difficulties of dealing with her ex and his demands about the selling of their house for a holiday in Cascais, near Lisbon in Portugal. But she’s been made redundant and the holiday stretches more and more as she begins to enjoy life again, meets a man, and reconnects with her creative self. But of course, there are challenges along the way!

The House on the Hill – A Summer in the Algarve – is also set in Portugal, but this time follows the fortunes of Layla Garcia who runs a successful mindfulness and yoga studio in Lagos. But despite her serene exterior, she’s anything but relaxed and when a reminder of the past she’d rather forget moves next door, in the shape of writer Luke Mackie, things really start to change. And she’s not very happy about it.

My fourth novel – Finding Summer Happiness focuses on Miriam Ryan, the MD of a successful events and catering company who sells up and heads to a village in Pembrokeshire in South West Wales where she used to holiday as a child. The idea is she has no work, no responsibilities and no-one else to worry about. But an issue with the lease of the house she’s renting means she’s signed up to the very things she’s been trying to get away from. 

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

Books have been such an intrinsic part of my life and who I am that I have always been naturally drawn to people who love reading books and who love talking about it. And since I’ve becoming a writer I now have wonderful supportive friends who write too and who’s brains seem to work in the same way as mine, which is absolutely lovely!

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

I would say thank you for reading my books and I hope you enjoyed them. Its lovely for me to know that people have engaged with the characters and stories I’ve created and the positivity from readers really helps motivate me to do more.

Where can people connect with you?

You can find me on Twitter as @ChrisPenhall

On Instagram as @christinepenhall and on Facebook as https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPenhallWriter

Plus my website address is https://www.chrispenhall.co.uk