Coastal Romance – The Beautiful Cornish Coast

The fantastically talented author Annie Seaton, who also  runs the terrific Coastal Romance Facebook page has organised an incredible give away between now and Christmas Eve. You have a chance to win 26 great stories and a $100 Amazon gift voucher.

To be in with a chance to win, click on the Rafflecopter giveaway link at the bottom of this post! + Bonus Prize!

 

 

Unlike Annie  on Thursday and yesterday Jenny Schwartz, who shared sweet and reflective recollections of the seaside, I’m choosing to go with a dangerous theme.

Moonstone Obsession opens with a shipwreck off the north Cornwall Coast:

Captain Armsden watched his men tighten the rigging, giving the square-rigged vessel stability in the rising wind and seas. With quick, economical movements, they worked to maintain control of the vessel as it battled the rising swell and blustering gale. February in Cornwall was for sailors, a savage time of year in a savage part of England. Miscalculations saw many a ship run aground on the rocky coast, with cargo and lives lost by the score.

— prologue, Moonstone Obsession

The wild and beautiful coast was well recognised by sailors for its treacherous conditions, so much so a rhyme was popularised to remind sailors of the danger:

From Pentire Point to Hartland Light a watery grave by day or night.

Pentire is near Padstow, a beautiful historic town protected from the worst of the wild weather of the Irish Sea by Gunver Head, the headland past which the mouth of the  River Camel widens and flows into the sea. In Moonstone Obsession, Padstow becomes a hot bed of intrigue as our hero Sir James Mitchell, Lord of Penventen (owner of Penventen Hall, which in real life is the Elizabethan manor Prideaux Place) discovers that a threat to the Crown lies very close to home.

This fascinating piece of coastline features sharp cliff, semi-submerged rocks but by contrast it is also home to wide sandy beaches and in Newquay, a thriving surfing community exists in one of England’s most popular holiday and party destinations.

But the wide sandy shallows were just as hazardous to ships as the rocks and records of shipwrecks dates back to the 13th century. Wrecks which have survived the pounding waves are now popular dive attractions.

“Do tell us more about your interest in the local cliffs, Mr. Elkerton,” enquired Lady Catherine.

“This is a fascinating part of England, Lady Catherine,” he answered. “The north Cornwall coast sees so much adverse weather and the strata in the rocks are most interesting. The folded and contorted stratification of shale and sandstone is unique in southern England. I’ve spent some time looking at Culm Measures and the folding rocks at Millook Haven about thirty miles from here. Being in Padstow for this summer allows me to compare the features of the natural harbor at Bude, which is where I had the opportunity to explore during the spring.”

— Chapter 11, Moonstone Obsession

But you don’t have to get your feet wet to enjoy this magnificent region. Although Padstow is not nearly as famous as Newquay,  (but Rick Stein does have a restaurant there), this town is perfect for people looking for a leisurely holiday to soak up the atmosphere, history and scenery. Long walks from Padstow along Gunver Head have long been popular with walkers – including the summer party staying at Moonstone Obsession:

The Reverend Kirk smiled, knowing he had a willing audience. Hours spent writing and honing his sermons made him an accomplished speaker, and the opportunity to be a storyteller was irresistible.

“Let’s go back along the beach to the other side of the headland where the really tall cliffs start, and I’ll tell you the story of Black Heart Pete, the most notorious brigand of Cornwall,” he began.

He spun a flagrantly false but utterly engaging tale that kept everyone amused on the two-mile walk across the headland to the rocks and cliffs on the ocean side called Gunver Head.

— Chapter 15, Moonstone Obsession

And who can blame them when the view looks like this:

But if your interest has been piqued by Cornwall and shipwreck, please do take a look at my post on the 1939 film Jamaica Inn by the intriguing gothic writer Daphne du Maurier whose famous works Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel were also set in Cornwall. And if you’d like to know more about real life shipwrecks, then there is this amazing story (with lots and lots of pictures) of the historic photo archive of shipwrecks taken by four generation of the Gibson family.

Prize 1

I have one Miessence Certified Organic Botanical Perfume to give away.

If you love the rich, warm scent of Oriental perfume, then you will love this prize – Wild!

For when you want to feel: alluring, captivating, divine, ravishing, erotic, sensual, daring, rhythmic, intense, confident, intimate, risky, adventurous, fascinating, mesmeric, enrapturing, hypnotising, riveting, mysterious, extravagant, ecstatic

Top notes – French fennel and Sri Lankan cinnamon
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To win:

1. Go to my Amazon author page and ‘like’ it.
2. Go to Moonstone Obsession’s Amazon page, look inside and find the name of Captain Armsden’s ill-fated ship.
3. Tell me which number ‘liker’ you are and the name of Captain Armsden’s ship in comments below on this page.

 

Grand Prize

And if you’d like to win Moonstone Obsession AND another 25 wonderful romances and a $100 Amazon gift voucher, then be sure to click the Rafflecopter link below.

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