Those of you who regularly read my blog may remember that I reviewed Laura Briggs’ A Wedding In Cornwall and A Christmas In Cornwall. Today I’m delighted to be taking part in the celebrations of the publication of  A Manor In Cornwall, the fourth book in the series. Laura has kindly given me an excerpt of the novella, but first I’m pleased to share with you the blurb.

The Blurb

The fourth instalment in the bestselling, feel-good series!

Now that Julianne’s happy ending is secure, her career as Cliffs House’s event planner is suddenly busier than ever. Thanks to a Cornish singing sensation’s upcoming concert at Cliffs House, and her promise to plan the perfect wedding for Pippa, Julianne hasn’t a moment to spare for Matthew or his plans for a weekend outing at Pencarrow. But she’s determined to find a way without letting down Ceffylgwyn for its big moment, or disappointing Pippa on the biggest day of her friend’s life.

With a star-struck crew of volunteers, a persistent American event planner, and a seemingly ill-chosen assistant in the form of the village’s former troublemaker, Julianne has her hands full, as usual. And it will take all of her friends, a few surprise twists, and—of course—her beloved Matthew to see her through it.

Excerpt

The next morning, the winnowed pool of part-time manor workers waited for their assignments. I had a checklist with names divided into two groups, one for Geoff and Lady Amanda and one for Pippa.

“As I read off the names in the first group, you’ll be joining Geoff for stage construction,” I said. “The rest of you will assist Pippa with moving the furniture into storage.” I checked the name sheet once more. “Kitty — you’ll be helping me for this afternoon.”

Several pairs of eyes latched onto the dark-haired girl when I said this last name. Several more people were whispering. After a short pause, the girl began moving in my direction.

“What are you thinking?” hissed Gemma. “That’s Kitty Alderson, for heaven’s sake!”

“What?” I asked.

“She’s a troublemaker,” whispered Pippa. “Don’t you know she’s —” But that was as far as she got before she hushed herself.

Kitty stopped in front of me. She was slightly shorter than I was, but that was because my high heels and her battered red sneakers placed us at different eye levels. Her dark hair was almost black and rather untamed, while freckles were visible on her fair skin, across the cheekbones just beneath her greenish-blue eyes.

“Follow me,” I said. And I led the way to my office, aware that Pippa and Gemma were both watching with disapproval.

“Basically, this is a simple job,” I said. “I want the piles of paperwork on my desk sorted into separate stacks of bills, sketches, and receipts. Any file folders go in the cabinet by the big antique globe, in alphabetical order. And if I need an errand run, you’ll pop out and do it for me so I don’t have to leave while they’re working downstairs. Does that sound manageable?”

Kitty stood in the middle of the room, her hands stuck deep in the pockets of her old canvas coat. Underneath it, she wore a red hooded jacket and a pair of jeans cuffed at the bottom because they were too long. The only time she took her hands out was to lightly touch the globe, her fingers giving it a deft spin on its axis.

“All right,” she answered. She shrugged her shoulders. There was a decided lack of interest or enthusiasm in her voice, and a decided coolness — it was the audible expression of a poker face, almost.

Author Bio

Laura Briggs is the author of several women’s fiction and chick lit novels, with themes that range from wedding planning to modern Jane Austen. Even though she tends to write stories with a romance theme, as a reader she has a soft spot for mysteries, including those by Agatha Christie and Mary Roberts Rinehart. She also enjoys books by Jane Austen, Anne Tyler, Amy Tan, and too many others to name. In her free time, she likes to experiment with new recipes and tries to landscape her yard (a never-ending project).

Author Website: http://paperdollwrites.blogspot.com/
Twitter Account: http://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ
Facebook Page:
Official Series Page for A Wedding in Cornwall: http://weddingincornwall.blogspot.com/

Wishing a huge happy book birthday to Laura and I hope you enjoyed reading the excerpt.