I'm so excited to host Zara Stoneley on the blog today! She is my guilty pleasure when I need something light hearted and fun to read and I can highly recommend all of her books.
"Dashing eventer Rory is ready to button up his breeches and settle down. His gorgeous wife, Lottie, wants a bank balance in the black so she can protect the beautiful family estate for future generations.
BLOG TOUR - POST FOUR
COUNTRY RIVALS by Zara Stoneley
What were your influences when writing Country Rivals?
I think that writing a book is a bit like making a cake, you need all the right ingredients, then you have to mix them in the right way or they’ll curdle or go flat, and then you need to cook the finished thing just enough so you don’t get a soggy bottom. So, here are the main ingredients that were on my mind when I was writing Country Rivals. So let’s start at the top…
Strong women – I’ve been lucky enough so far in my lifetime to meet some amazing women who’ve inspired me in my life as well as my writing. I know a wonderful lady who runs a horse stud in Cheshire, competition riders who show and event, a flamboyant artist and photographer who runs her own business, and more than one matriarchal figure who runs the country estate (even though other members of the family might think it is their job!). I love all my female characters in Country Rivals, they’re strong, determined and resourceful – but have a terrific sense of humour (essential in the countryside).
Sexy men – where would we be without them? I’ve known more than one Billy in my life – blunt but well-meaning men who will say what they mean, a very sexy farrier, and more than one rather attractive polo player. I have to admit the combination of horses and men does something for me (this could be the fault of Jilly Cooper and Rupert Campbell–Black who came into my life at an impressionable age!).
Funny dogs – I’ve always had a dog, but the one with the most character had to be Darcey, my Jack Russell Terrier. Sadly, we lost her to leukaemia when she was only a few years old but she left a huge impression and was the inspiration for Tilly the terrier. I’ve also had a greedy Labrador (is there any other kind?) who would quite happily have polished off a cricket tea like Lady Elizabeth’s dog did in Country Affairs.
Wilful horses – I’ve had a few, especially one very naughty Welsh cob. Black Gold is a combination of a couple of my naughtier horses, but all the horses in Tippermere are inspired by ones I’ve known or owned.
Dream locations – I love the Cheshire countryside and the villages. The village of Alderley Edge, home to many premier footballers, influenced Kitterly Heath, and the village where I used to keep my horses was the main inspiration forTippermere.
Events – a few years ago there was a fire at a castle, used as a location for events, near to where I live. This was the initial trigger for the plot of ‘Country Rivals’ – what if it happened to Lottie?
Character to love – there is a great sense of community in the villages in Cheshire.
Everybody attends the village shows, supports their neighbours when things go wrong, and quite a few people like to gather in the local pub and catch up on the gossip. People have time for each other, and this had a massive influence when I was writing the Tippermere series.
Country Rivals
'A great treat for readers…jam-packed with sexy men and horses.' Bestselling author Fiona Walker
Dashing eventer Rory is ready to button up his breeches and settle down. His gorgeous wife, Lottie, wants a bank balance in the black so she can protect the beautiful family estate for future generations.
But with the wedding business at Tipping House going up in flames, and rumours that it was arson not accident, Lottie begins to wonder who she can trust with her future.
Tranquil Tippermere is under siege as movies moguls and insurance investigators invade the countryside, and as events gather pace rescue plans start to look too good to be true, and intentions may not be as honourable as they seem.
As a moody, but definitely marvellous, polo player enters the fray and squares up to the eventing hero of Tippermere, does Lottie stand to lose her husband as well as her home?
And you can grab the other Tippermere books (all the books can be read independently) here –
ZARA STONELEY
Zara was born in a small village in Staffordshire, educated in Cheshire, and went on to study at Liverpool University. After a successful career as an IT consultant, she decided to follow her heart and ran a dog grooming business for several years before becoming a full-time writer.
Her fun, romantic, romps draw on her experiences of village life, and her various love affairs with dogs, cats and horses. These days if she’s not at her laptop, you can usually find her trudging across fields on foot, or sat on the back of a horse.
Zara divides her time between a country cottage in Cheshire and an apartment in Barcelona. Her most recent novels include the popular Stable Mates, Country Affairs and Country Rivals.
Find out more -
"Dashing eventer Rory is ready to button up his breeches and settle down. His gorgeous wife, Lottie, wants a bank balance in the black so she can protect the beautiful family estate for future generations.
But with the wedding business at Tipping House going up in flames, and rumours that it was arson not accident, Lottie begins to wonder who she can trust with her future.
Tranquil Tippermere is under siege as movies moguls and insurance investigators invade the countryside, and as events gather pace rescue plans start to look too good to be true, and intentions may not be as honourable as they seem.
As a moody, but definitely marvellous, polo player enters the fray and squares up to the eventing hero of Tippermere, does Lottie stand to lose her husband as well as her home?"
What do you do when your guilty pleasure is reading Jilly Cooper novels, but Jilly hasn't written a book for years? Read Zara Stoneley, of course.
The Tippermere series is a FANTASTIC read, and this, the third instalment is brilliant. Meeting up with Lottie, Rory and Tab is like meeting up with old friends - not a lot changes, and you feel like you're picking up where you left off. This time though, Lottie is fighting off potentially losing the house, losing Rory, dealing with a film crew and all while being put under pressure to start a family.
There were moments when I laughed out loud, and I also have to confess to a few tears....Zara's characters are so relatable that it's difficult not to get caught up in the events of the their lives.
Another brilliant Tippermere novel - I really hope it won't be the last.
Country Rivals is out now and you can get it here:
**My thanks to the publisher for my ARC**
