Interview with Kitty Wilson, author of The Cornish Village School ► Suzy Turner

Happy Ever After – The Cornish Village School by Kitty Wilson

When you’ve spent your life trying to be perfect, how easy is it to let go?

Marion Marksharp is the undisputed queen of Penmenna and has the perfect life – ask anyone. Doting husband? Hmm, maybe not… Well-behaved, angelic children? Definitely not. A network of close, supportive friends? Not so much, it turns out.

Marion sets out to change her autocratic ways by starting up a wedding planning enterprise in the village. But between her husband’s suspicious absences, her PTA frenemies and her own perfectionist tendencies, organising the dream wedding for her friend isn’t going smoothly and she’s running out of time to pull it off…

In this final book in the Cornish Village School series, the village comes together one last time to make sure everyone gets their happy ever after.

A second-chance romance perfect for fans of Tilly Tennant and Cathy Bramley.

Interview with Kitty Wilson

Hi Kitty! Please tell us a little bit about your latest release, The Cornish Village School.

Happy Ever After is my latest release and is the fifth and final book in The Cornish Village School series. These books are all set in the fictional village of Penmenna in Cornwall and revolve around the primary school there. In the very first book we met the headteacher and join her in her battle to save her school whilst resisting the attractions of her lovely new neighbour.

This latest book takes the villain of the whole series, the rude and pushy head of the PTA and makes her the heroine of this novel. She is older than my other protagonists, she’s in her forties, has been married for decades and has three small boys. When she suspects her husband of playing away she realises that she needs to make some changes in her life and leaves the PTA behind to set up her own events management company.

All the books have a strong sense of community, and this one is no different. We follow Marion as she learns that friendship is more valuable than she previously realised, that she is far from perfect and that taking responsibility for your mistakes may be terrifying but really is worth it.

Your parents “dragged you against your will as a stroppy teenager (!)” to Cornwall some years ago. Can you explain how that has influenced your writing?

It’s influenced my writing quite a lot, partly because I will always remember what it feels like to be a teenager which I hope helps inform my characters and partly because all my books so far (although not my current work-in-progress) have been set in Cornwall. When I write I want it to be about the places I love, the wide-open beaches, the small secret coves, the wind-battered moorland and the strong sense of community within the villages.

What do you love about living in Cornwall now?

Alas, I no longer live in Cornwall. I was there for twenty-five years and as coincidence would have it moved away the very weekend before my first book was published. I shamefully combined both my going away party with my launch and had so much fun doing the two events in one. However, I do love Cornwall, and largely for the things I listed above. The support you have living in or near a village, being able to dash to the beach on a sunny day. In fact, my children were practically bought up on the beach, we would race down after school in summer and swim and barbecue and laze about and it was heaven. I do plan to move back as soon as my partner retires and we can spend our time doing exactly those things all over again.

Did you always want to be an author?

Yes, I did from being a teeny child. I was always reading. Everything, every book, every packet in the house. So of course, I always wanted to write. As a young adult I didn’t think of myself as at all creative so assumed any writing I would do would be more academic. When I had to stop teaching because of ill-health, I decided I would use that time to try and write a book, chase the dream I’d had since childhood. As it turns out I really enjoy writing fiction and nowadays I get to write all day and get paid for it.

What inspires you?

All sorts of things, and this answer really could be an essay so I shall try and rein it in. I think fundamentally the lovely things about life, the love we have for our family and friends, the strength humans draw from each other, people’s individual experiences and the wide range of emotions we all feel. Places inspire me, Cornwall is so beautiful it is hard not to be struck by idea’s down there although they do all tend to take a turn towards a handsome smuggler galloping across a beach. But Bristol is full of ideas as well. History inspires me and one day I would like to try my hand at historical fiction. The funny everyday things, the things that make me giggle, the little things that give me those flashes of joy – they all tend to turn up in my romcoms.

Your book covers are absolutely gorgeous! Are you involved in the design process? And who designs them?

I’m so lucky. My publishers have a freelance illustrator who designs them and because we knew The Cornish Village School was going to be a series we wanted something that we could replicate and help us create that brand. With five books in the series we have a spring cover, a summer cover, autumn, winter and weddings and they all look so good lined up together. But I had virtually nothing to do with any of it, so can’t take the glory unfortunately.

How many books have you written so far?

Five, The Cornish Village School series. The books are all romances with a hefty dollop of humour and a strong theme of community running through them. They can all be read as standalones but I think they are best read in order. Certainly, the fifth and final book which is out this month, Happy Ever After, has been fed into by the preceding novels so it will make far more sense to those who are already familiar with the community of Penmenna.

What’s the next project?

I am writing another romantic comedy, it will be my fist book that isn’t part of The Cornish Village School series and it is all very hush hush at the moment. So, whilst I have to keep my lips sealed for now I can tell you that it is Christmas themed, it is a stand-alone and I am really having fun writing it.

What do you think is the best thing about being an author?

So many things. I love my job, really love it. I like being able to come and sit at my laptop and try and think of things that will make me laugh. I like being able to take some of the tougher things in life and give them to my characters to deal with, it’s my way of paying testament to the strength, courage and resilience that everyday people have and that isn’t celebrated enough. Then to add a dash of the highs and sighs of a romance, a smattering of funny and to create a world where people want to escape to, that’s a remarkable privilege to have.

About Kitty Wilson

Kitty Wilson lived in Cornwall for twenty-five years having been dragged there, against her will, as a stroppy teen. She is now remarkably grateful to her parents for their foresight and wisdom – and that her own children aren’t as hideous. Recently she has moved to Bristol, but only for love and on the understanding that she and her partner will be returning to Cornwall to live very soon. She spends most of her time welded to the keyboard, dreaming of the beach or bombing back down the motorway for a quick visit! She has a penchant for very loud music, equally loud dresses and romantic heroines who speak their mind.