Virtual Book Tour for Tea and Primroses by Tess Thompson

Welcome to my stop author Tess Thompson’s Virtual Book Tour for Tea and Primroses, presented by Tasty Book Tours, from March 3 – March 7, 2014.  Please leave a comment or question for Tess to let her know you stopped by.  You can follow the rest of the tour here. 

How Do You Get Your Ideas by Tess Thompson

The number one question I get from readers and other writers is, “how do you get your ideas?” 

It’s difficult to explain, even to myself. Ideas come in a myriad of ways. They come from living. Inspiration, stories, characters are everywhere if you open your eyes to them. Ideas also come from my own past experiences and definitely some current ones. It also comes from the divine; apparently there are some stories God wishes us to tell. Sometimes something will pop into my mind out of nowhere and I have no explanation except divine intervention. 

But yesterday an idea came to me that was easy to explain. I thought, oh, this is one I can share with my readers.

My daughter’s fifth grade class has been studying Colonial Williamsburg. They were all assigned fictional characters that lived in Williamsburg. One of their assignments was to write a letter to another fictional character that was still in England, convincing them to come to the New World. The teacher then asked for parent volunteers to answer the letters. I said I would, of course. Ms. Sharkey sent three letters home with my Ella.

I’m a writer, so I wanted my letters to be the best. I did a little research, although I already knew quite a bit about the subject because I’m a history nerd. Then, I wrote the three letters back, taking much to long with each one but I can’t help myself. One of them very well may be the start of a new novel.

I decided to share it with you. This, my friends, is the best way I can think of to explain how my mind works, for better or worse.

May 12, 1774

Dearest Emeline,

Your letter made me smile for many reasons. Although you’ve made a new life in the New World, your politeness is still very British. Only an Englishwoman could write such a long letter to her dearest friend without mentioning what I’m sure you know by now. Yes, I was jilted by the handsome, dashing, Walter Buck. As it turns out, Walter Buck is a scoundrel interested only in finding a rich young lady. Whether he ever loved me I will never know, because once he discovered the truth of my situation, he ran away like the dog he is.

As you know, the years have not been kind to my father. Whatever fortune we once had is gone. I loved Walter with all my heart and I am left devastated and mortified. There isn’t a place I can go in the village without people staring at me. The gossip about poor, jilted Lydia Lee is enough to make even me bitter, my dear friend. It’s made worse without my closest friend here to console me.

I’ve heard there are many young men in the New World that are seeking their fortunes or perhaps have already found them. Might one of them fall in love with me despite my humble circumstances and my flaming red hair? If not, my sewing skills are quite good. I would certainly be interested in apprenticing with the weaver, milliner, tailor or shoemaker. I’m good with my hands and a quick learner.

There is nothing left for me here. It is time to take control of my own destiny. There seems no better place to do so than in the New World.

I’ve arranged to come out on the summer voyage of the Victoria. I have enough saved for the voyage and a few weeks at the tavern. Thank you for your kind offer to stay with you, but I could never be an imposition to you and Lewis. Instead, I will take my chances that I can find one of those abundant jobs you speak of.

I’ll count the days until I see you, my darling friend. Next year, we will celebrate our birthdays together. Do they have cake in the New World? I sincerely hope so, as I do love cake.

May God keep you until then.

Sincerely,

Lydia Lee

Tea and Primroses

By Tess Thompson

Legley Bay Series, Book 2

Publisher: Booktrope

Release Date: February 16, 2014

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 250 Pages

ISBN: 978-1620152096
ASIN: B00HV2OCM2

Buy Links:  Amazon │Barnes & Noble

About the book:

Nothing is as it seemed in calm, quaint Legley Bay.

Famous novelist, Constance Mansfield lived a seemingly straightforward – if private – and somewhat predictable life. Friends, beloved daughter Sutton, a beautiful home, and all the success an author could wish for. A perfect life….but was it?

When a hit and run accident suddenly takes her mother’s life, Sutton finds hidden secrets with her heartbreak. Emotional walls she assumed Constance had built to protect her privacy may have been to protect something – or someone – else entirely. Family and friends return home for support, including her own lost-love, Declan. He’s the first thing she craves to help her cope with her loss and the questions she’s left with, but he’s also the last person she wants to see. Will he be able to put down roots at last?

Can the loss of true love be the making of a life or is it destined to be the undoing of everything? When money, power and love combine across time, anything is possible.

Author Info

Tess Thompson is a novelist and playwright with a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California. In 2011, she released her first novel, Riversong, which subsequently became a bestseller.

Like the characters in Tea and Primroses, Tess is from a small town in Oregon. She currently lives in a suburb of Seattle, Washington with her two young daughters, Emerson and Ella, where she is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window.

Author Links

http://www.tesswrites.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTessThompson

https://twitter.com/TessWrites

http://www.pinterest.com/tesswrites/