A Novel of Cornwall and Greece On a Distant Shore by Ann E Brockbank

 

On a Distant Shore

An enduring love story, full of secrets, heartbreak and intrigue.

 

Come with me on a journey to a distant shore and enjoy the stunning locations used in my new novel.

 

 

This is where I’ve spent the last eighteen months.  Lovely isn’t it?

This is Poros, Greece, one of the fabulous settings for my new novel, On a Distant Shore.

Poros is a small Greek island, in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, about 31 nautical miles south from Piraeus, and separated from the Peloponnese by a 656 ft wide sea channel. It is a popular weekend destination for Athenians.
 

 

 

So, I have been spending my days on deserted beaches, basking under the hot Greek sun - eating crusty bread, drizzled in olive oil and oregano.  In the afternoons I swim in deep, crystal clear water, then sit on the deck of a 30ft yacht, eating juicy watermelon. My evenings are spent on the terrace of a villa, listening to the cicadas, while drinking in the glory of a fiery amber Peloponnese sunset. In the cool of the night I lay amongst thyme fragrant hills, dreaming under a huge vault of stars. 

 

I am of course only there in my imagination. I’m just a bystander, watching the characters I have created develop their stories.   
 

The Poros I write about is not the bustling busy touristy place it is now, but the more sedate Poros of the early 80’s. When I visited all those years ago, I found it truly inspiring.  It was virtually unspoilt and only a handful of people holidayed there. The sea, deep and crystal clear, lapped gently onto deserted shingle beaches.  Hillsides smelt of wild thyme, and the people were lovely and welcomed you like old friends.  There was only one bus on the island, which legally held a capacity of 28 people, but regularly held up to 58, plus the odd lilo.

 

To get to the island, you had to take a converted fishing boat called the Flying Dolphin from the port of Piraeus.  It was a long arduous journey and you were lucky if you managed to hold onto your breakfast.  But oh, when Poros came into view, you knew you were somewhere special. 

 

The main male protagonist in my story is a young Greek fisherman. He really did exist! Though the man he was based on was middle aged when I first saw him. He was still very handsome, as you would expect a Greek to be, but his long dark hair was peppered with silver. I remember he had an air of melancholy about him, as though his life had not turned out as he expected.  I would watch him from my hotel balcony. Every morning, as dawn broke, he would pull his boat upon the beach and more often than not, proceed to smack an octopus, or it could have been a squid, on the rocks, presumably to kill it. He would then bring the rest of his catch up to the hotel kitchens, returning to the beach to strip off his shirt and dive into the sea.  I never actually spoke to him - though I did find out he was called Yiannis.  With my imagination running wild, I very soon built as story around him.

 

Yiannis has been sitting in the back of my mind now for a great many years. I tried to write his story a long time ago, but shelved it.  Periodically Yiannis would give me a nudge, asking me when I was going to write his story properly. Well, now I have done it, and along with a host of colourful characters, we have all had a rather splendid time on this lovely Greek Island.

 

 

Greece isn't the only wonderful location for my novel  'On a Distant Shore', as with my previous novels Mr de Sousa's Legacy and The Blue Bay Café, the tranquil river village of Gweek, on the Helford River in Cornwall, is an integral setting for my book. 
This is where the story starts.

 

The bridge at Gweek, Cornwall

 

I cannot write a novel without including some of the many spectacular places I love in my beloved Cornwall. Therefore I will take you on a journey to some of my favourite haunts such as
St Ives, Botallack and Church Cove Gunwalloe.

Church Cove Gunwalloe. Cornwall

St Ives

Crown Mines, Botallack, Cornwall
 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a Distant Shore also takes you to Portugal - to a little village in the mountains of Monchique.

 

From there we visit Lagos on the beautiful western Algarve, where we find the Ponta da Piedade headland - a series of highly weathered cliffs lined with spectacular grottos, arches, sea caves.

Lagos has some stunning views, from the Ponte da Piedade you get a fantastic view of the sweeping sands of Lagos bay with the Monchique hills as a backdrop, and you can also see all the way to Sagres to the west ( the base for the 'voyages of the Discoveries' instigated by Henry the Navigator)  and the popular seaside resort of Albufeira to the east

 

 

 

The Ponta da Piedade is possibly the most beautiful natural feature of the Algarve coastline. The shoreline, fringed with heavily weathered cliffs, carved into rock pillars, tunnels and hidden grottos is simply stunning. I will never forget how beautiful the sandstone cliffs looked against the shimmering turquoise sea.  If you ever visit Lagos in Portugal, I can highly recommend a trip on one of the small fishing boats which navigate through the maze of these unique formations. It was truly amazing.  

Well, that tells you about the locations in my novel, if you want to read more, see below.  

 

On a Distant Shore

 

After the shocking death of her parents’ in a tiny Cornish village, nine-year-old Laura Tempest is taken to stay with her wealthy grandparents’ on the beautiful Greek Island of Poros. But life is far from idyllic on this sun-drenched, cosmopolitan island.  Local business woman, Eva Barzini, believes her family’s land was unlawfully taken by the Tempests’ and is intent on retribution, and a hidden family secret makes Laura’s grandmother indifferent to the child’s plight.  

 Left alone to deal with her grief, Laura befriends Yiannis Kiassos, her grandparents’ young handyman, himself struggling with his own misfortunes. This tender friendship would transform each other’s lives, enduring years of separation, as Laura completes her education back in Cornwall. Now a young woman, full of dreams of a future with him, Laura returns to Poros, but when Eva’s slanderous lies cause her to question Yiannis’s integrity, and secrets within her own family begin to emerge, suddenly no one is who they seem to be.

From the picturesque Peloponnese to the wild, romantic Cornish coast, On a Distant Shore is an enduring love story, full of secrets, heartbreak and intrigue.

 

On a Distant Shore is now available from +Amazon.com +Amazon.co.uk +Poldhu Beach Cafe & Shop  and to download from the +AmazonKindleEbooks 

 

 

 On a Distant Shore by Ann E Brockbank

I’d like to thank in advance, every single reader who has read this blog and then decided to spend their hard-earned money on my novel. Without you, I’d be a very miserable writer without an audience. I am honoured that you selected my story to read and especially grateful to all those readers who take the time to write a review - your kind words and support inspire me to keep writing.

I hope you enjoy reading the novel as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Incidentally the beautiful covers from my novels are painted by Robert W Floyd - A Porthmeor Studio St Ives artist in the 80's #RobertWFloyd #BlueBayArt

https://www.facebook.com/Bluebayartonline

 

Also by Ann E Brockbank

 



 

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The Storm Sister - Another beautiful novel from Lucinda Riley

Let me introduce you to 'The Storm Sister'

This is the second book in Lucinda Riley's spellbinding series, based loosely on the mythology surrounding the famous star constellation.

The text below is taken from the inside cover of Lucinda Riley’s book

‘Ally D'Aplièse is about to compete in one of the world's most perilous yacht races, when she hears the news of her adoptive father's sudden, mysterious death. Rushing back to meet her five sisters at their family home, she discovers that her father - an elusive billionaire affectionately known to his daughters as Pa Salt - has left each of them a tantalising clue to their true heritage.

Ally has also recently embarked on a deeply passionate love affair that will irrevocably change her destiny forever. But with her life now turned upside down, Ally decides to leave the open seas and follow the trail that her father left her, which leads her to the icy beauty of Norway.

There, Ally begins to discover her roots - and how her story is inextricably bound to that of a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who sang in the premiere of Peer Gynt, set to Greig's iconic music, over a hundred years before. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also begins to question who her father, Pa Salt, really was. And she starts to wonder why her seventh sister is missing . . .

 

 

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I have to say this lovely book filled me with joy. I have always loved Greig's Peer Gynt - It was the one nice thing about my school days. If this was played at the morning assembly, it made me feel calm and ready to face what was a turbulent and unhappy time of my life.  

 https://youtu.be/dyM2AnA96yE

 

 

Reading this book has also made me determined to practice my flute every day. Maybe one day, I will be able to play more than my scales. 

This is my review for the Storm Sisters posted on Amazon and Waterstones.com

Another beautiful novel from Lucinda Riley

This is the second wonderful novel in a series of seven books by Lucinda Riley, about six girls adopted at birth and taken to Geneva by a wealthy man they called Pa Salt. On his death, they each receive clues to their true identity. In The Storm Sister, Lucinda Riley takes us on another breathtaking journey as we follow Ally (Alcyone) from Lake Geneva, to Greece, Bergen/Oslo and Liepzig. Lucinda never fails to write a clever, vivid and beautiful descriptive novel. I was totally engrossed from the first page to the last and I am now bereft that I have to wait another year for the next instalment. This was spellbinding storytelling. I absolutely loved it, and highly recommend it.

 

 

Please remember though, you will need to read the fabulous first book in this series The Seven Sisters, to enjoy the second one - I promise you will not be disappointed

 

 

This was my review for the Seven Sisters posted on Amazon and Waterstones.com

 The Seven Sisters - An absolute joy to read

This is a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. The Seven Sisters is the first in a series of seven books about six girls adopted at birth and taken to Geneva by a wealthy man they called Pa Salt. On his death, they each receive clues to their true identity. This, the first book, follows Maia's journey, and what a journey it is. From Switzerland, Brazil and Paris, Lucinda Riley takes you on a vivid historical journey. I can hardly wait until the next book in the series, 'The Storm Sister' is published. I have loved every single one of Lucinda's novels. She is a master storyteller who never ever fails to delivery a fabulous read. I absolutely loved it, and highly recommend it.

 

 

If you enjoy a novel that takes you on a journey, you may be interested in my novels. Mr de Sousa's Legacy and The Blue Bay Café.  Both are predominantly set in Cornwall, but I take my readers to Tuscany, Brittany, Slovenia, Devon and the glorious Yorkshire Dales 

Both of my books are available from +Poldhu Beach Cafe & Shop +The Waymarker +Amazon.com +Kindle Books @Waterstones.com

 

Incidentally the beautiful covers from my novels are painted by Robert W Floyd - A Porthmeor Studio St Ives artist in the 80's

 

#LucindaRiley #TheStormSister #TheSevenSisters #Fiction #TheBlueBayCafe #MrdeSousasLegacy #RoberWFloyd #PorthmeorStudio #Artist #Cornishfiction #Lake Geneva  #Greece #Bergen #Oslo #Liepzig #EdvardGreig #PeerGynt #Tuscany #Brittany #Slovenia #Devon #YorkshireDales  #amreading #Newbooks #Christmasgiftideas

@LucindaRiley

Book Review of Kate Morton's The Lake House

The Lake House - Fine storytelling

 

I was thrilled and privileged to meet Kate Morton in the summer time. She was in Cornwall promoting her new book and I and several of my colleagues had the pleasure of having dinner with her.

Kate was beautiful and friendly and never seemed to tire of all the questions we bombarded her with.

She will be back in Cornwall on 30th October at Waterstones Truro at 7.p.m to talk and sign copies of her new book. I can hardly wait to meet her again and tell her how much I loved her book.

 

-----------------------------

About the book -

 

The Lake House by Kate Morton is the mysterious and enchanting fifth novel from the number one bestselling author of The House at Riverton and The Secret Keeper.

The following text is taken from the cover of her book.

A missing child...

June 1933, and the Edevane family's country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she's also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn't. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.


An abandoned house...

Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.


An unsolved mystery...

Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape...

 

 

As a huge Kate Morton fan, I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reading copy of The Lake House and I can honestly say I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down once I had started it.  Throughout the book, the author made me believe that I too was a detective trying to solve the mystery of the missing child. Every time I thought I had solved the mystery, I had my suspicions scuppered when the story took a different path.  I was totally engrossed right up to the last page.  

This brilliant read is fine storytelling and one of the best books I have read this year.  Congratulations Kate Morton, this is going to be a huge hit.

 

 

 

If you want to read more Cornish Fiction, I highly recommend 

Winston Graham's Poldark novels

Rosamunde Pilcher - The Shell Seekers

Kate Morton - The Forgotten Garden

Rachel Hore - The Memory Garden

Liz Fenwick - The Cornish Affair

Santa Montefiore - Sea of Lost Love

Emylia Hall - The Sea Between us

 

#WinstonGraham #Poldark #RosamundePilcher #TheShellSeekers #KateMorton #TheForgottenGarden #TheLakeHouse #RachelHore #TheMemoryGarden #LizFenwick #TheCornishAffair #SantaMontefiore #SeaofLostLove #EmyliaHall #TheSeaBetween us

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading my review of Kate Morton's new novel The Lake House. I too am the author of two Cornish novels

Mr de Sousa's Legacy and The Blue Bay Café

Both available at Amazon and Waterstones

#TheBlueBayCafe

#MrdeSousasLegacy

#AnnEBrockbank

 

Cornish Fiction at its best - Review of The Sea Between Us by Emylia Hall

Because I love Cornwall, I devour any novel that is set in my adopted county. I have just finished this beautiful novel by Emylia Hall and if you love Cornish fiction too, I think you will love this.

 

 

 

 

This is the first novel I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last. I was blown away by her beautiful, lyrical and descriptive writing.  She had me captivated with the story of Robyn and Jago from the first page to the very last, as they both set off on their journey of self discovery. 

For me Emylia Hall captured the wild and tempestuous Cornish coast in the most atmospheric way. Her vivid descriptions of the unpredictability and beauty of the sea had the waves washing over me as I read.  I could feel the sand between my toes and taste the salt on my lips with every chapter she spent in her remote Cornish cove.  Her account of early motherhood ranks amongst some of the most tender and heartfelt prose I have ever read. In short this novel was a joy to read.

 

#TheSeaBetweenUs #EmyliaHall

#Cornishfiction #novelsofcornwall #Cornwall #Beach #Cornishcoast #Sennen

 

 

If you want to read more Cornish Fiction, I highly recommend 

Winston Graham's Poldark novels

Rosamunde Pilcher - The Shell Seekers

Kate Morton - The Forgotten Garden and The Lake House

Rachel Hore - The Memory Garden

Liz Fenwick - The Cornish Affair

Santa Montefiore - Sea of Lost Love

 

#WinstonGraham #Poldark #RosamundePilcher #TheShellSeekers #KateMorton #TheForgottenGarden #TheLakeHouse #RachelHore #TheMemoryGarden #LizFenwick #TheCornishAffair #SantaMontefiore #SeaofLostLove

 

 

Ann E Brockbank is the author of two Cornish novels

Mr de Sousa's Legacy and The Blue Bay Café

Both available at Amazon and Waterstones

#TheBlueBayCafe

#MrdeSousasLegacy

#AnnEBrockbank

A cliff walk to enjoy a Cornish breakfast –From Gunwallow to Poldhu on the Lizard Peninsula.

One of the joys of living in Cornwall and being only a few miles from the coast, is the luxury of breakfast on the beach. This is something we indulge in at least once a week.  Come rain, hail, sun or snow (snow is very rare) we don our walking boots and follow this well trodden path.

 

Dollar Cove, on the Lizard

Our short 5 mile drive takes us to beautiful Gunwalloe on the Lizard Peninsular, a National Trust beach and car park.  As  creatures of habit, we always set off, first taking in the glorious windswept beach called Dollar Cove, named after the great wreck in 1780 when 2 tonnes of silver coins were lost overboard. This little cove has seen quite a lot of excitement in the last two years, as it was used by the BBC as Nampara Cove, in the 2015 production of Poldark and will be Nampara again in the 2016 series. As you look west, the headland of Halzephron lies before you.  At high tide the beach is a mass of large pebbles, just waiting to be stacked in towers.  A low tide reveals a sandy bay, dotted with huge granite rocks and perfect for a paddle on our return journey. 



Poldark filming in Dollar Cove

 

A short walk across the dunes brings you to the bridge over the stream which runs the length of Gunwalloe beach, known as Church Cove. 

 

One winter, after a terrific storm, white foam covered the whole beach, which wobbled in the wind.  We were waist deep that day walking through it!

The winter storms filled Church Cove with foam.

Foam covered the whole of Church Cove

A more tranquil view of the cove from the bridge.

 

Summer sees the dunes covered in flowers

   
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Church Cove is a lovely south-west facing cove and is one of our favourite places to swim, which we do, on occasions, from May to November. 

 

Low tide at Church Cove

Sometimes it's so low you can see
 the hotel on the next headland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the north side of the beach is the tiny church of St Winwaloe, the Church of storms) which has a detached tower set into the solid rock of the headland. The Church is dedicated to the popular Breton saint Winwaloe, the first abbot of Landevennec, Gunwalloe was a chapelry of Breage when first recorded in 1332.  A holy well was once sited near the porch.  It is the only Cornish church actually sited on a beach, and very lovely it is too!  If you ever get a chance to visit, do pop in and take a look.  Many a Saturday during the summer, we have the pleasure of watching brides make their way to this pretty church to take their vows. Where else would you get such a spectacular backdrop to your wedding photos? 

View of Church Cove from the bottom of the
Cliff Path

St Winwaloe, the Church of storms)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The coast path takes us up a steep incline, edging along the Mullion golf course, where many a brave golfer tries his luck at driving his ball through the gale force winds which sometimes whip over the cliff edge.  Half way up we always stop to take in the spectacular view of Church Cove from this wonderfully elevated position.  It also gives us a moment to catch our breath.

 

 

 

 

Another short incline brings us to the top of Poldhu Cove for another spectacular view over Mounts Bay, towards Lands End.  There are days when the mist is so dense; you can’t see the view at all. But other days you can see for miles - and even make out St Michaels Mount in the distance.  The sea can be so many colours over the season, ranging from opal green, turquoise to deep blue.  After storms, long banks of sand float beyond the waves, trying to find a beach to settle on.  Every single day is different on our walk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking the coast path to the right hand side of the road, Poldhu Point comes into view. Where stands the impressive building that once was the Poldhu Hotel, build in 1899, but is currently a care home.   Beyond the building is the Marconi centre. This became the site of one of the main technological advances of the early twentieth century when, on 12 December 1901, a wireless signal was sent to St John’s, Newfoundland, by Marconi. 

 

  

As you pick your way down the soft cliff path, have your camera ready for some glorious shots of pellucid green water lapping over black granite rocks.  In the winter, you have to hold onto your hat, as the mighty waves crash against these same rocks, giving an equally fabulous photo shot. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making our way back onto the road, the cliffs facing the beach put on a wonderful floral show throughout the year. Though spring time, is my favourite, especially when the bluebells and pink thrift opens and you just know you are on the right side of summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poldhu cove is a long west-facing sandy beach, flanked with soft dunes and grasses. It’s a fantastic beach to swim, and learn the art of surfing, and when the sea is flat calm it’s a perfect setting for Paddle boarding.  The beach is very rarely empty. Summer time brings lots of holidaymakers and during the winter months, we share the beach with lots of dog walkers and hardy surfers.

 

 

 

Poldhu means "black pool" in Cornish – but it is a very different seaside place to the Blackpool of the north.

 

Breakfast at Poldhu Beach Café (established in 1997) is always something we look forward to.  I can safely say there are very few places where you can enjoy a bacon bap and a cappuccino with such fabulous views.  There are times when we have sat outside, with the wind and rain buffeting us, enjoying an extreme cappuccino.  But hey, this is Cornwall, beautiful, whatever the weather. 

 

Poldhu cove is where I get the inspiration for my novels. It is one of my beachside offices. I mention the Café and beach with great affection in my novel ‘The Blue Bay Café’.

 

I hope you get the chance to visit and partake in a Cornish breakfast.

 

My novels Mr de Sousa’s Legacy – a Cornish love story and The Blue Bay Café – a novel of Cornwall can be purchased at - +Poldhu Beach Cafe & Shop +Amazon.co.uk  +Amazon.com  +AmazonKindleEbooks  +Waterstones #BookBlog #Cornwall #CornishFiction #Cornish #Beach #Cornishcoast #BeautifulCornwall #Sea #Downonthebeach @downthecove @CornwallHour @PoldarksCornwall @LizardCornwall @SWCornwallNT@ToursPoldark @PoldarkTV

 

 

#breakfastonthebeach #extremecappuccino #beach #sand #sea #Cornwall #Cornishficiton #Beachsideoffice #TheBlueBayCafe #MrdeSousasLegacy #AnnEBrockbank #Poldhu #DollarCove #Lizard #NationalTrustSW  +National Trust

Extreme Cappuccino drinking