Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café started life as Christmas at The Chocolate Pot Café and was an independent release two years ago shortly before Christmas. When I secured a publishing deal with Boldwood Books, I was thrilled that they wanted to take on my back catalogue, starting with the Welcome to Whitsborough Bay series and this story. Having not worked with an editor on it, I was excited to see how a fresh pair of eyes would breathe new life into it.
We’ve had a change of title for several reasons. Firstly, the book has had quite a major edit with several new chapters in the middle and at the end. It’s still the same main character, setting and plot as before but there are several new treats along the way. The story finishes later than before too, making the ending even more satisfying. Secondly, the additional chapters in the middle meant that quite a bit more of the story takes place away from Christmas so it didn’t feel as appropriate to have ‘Christmas’ in the title because it’s not just a Christmas book. Finally, it’s a fresh release so it felt right to give it a fresh cover and new title.
I thank my husband, Mark, and our daughter, Ashleigh, in all of my books and it’s only right that I thank them again in this one. I’m really fortunate that Mark is self-employed, like me, so he works erratic hours when the work arises and therefore ‘gets’ it. He also has a creative passion as a photographer so he never complains about me drifting off into my imaginary world, knowing that he’s free to roam with the camera whenever he wants.
Ashleigh is at senior school and her evenings are now full with her usual activities, some after school clubs, and homework. I feel a little less guilty about writing on an evening (fitting it round my day job as an HR Tutor) when she’s not available herself!
A fabulous team of beta readers help me by reading my work, spotting typos and providing feedback. Thank you to my mum, Joyce Williams, my good friend and fellow writer, Sharon Booth, and long-term friend, Liz Berry for their work on the original version of this book.
And it’s to Liz that I dedicate this book. I try to dedicate my books to someone who has a link to the story in some small way. In Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café, Tara reconnects with her family after reading a letter from her foster-mother and it’s through letters that I met Liz. I was 14 and in London for a youth club weekend. The weekend culminated in a rendezvous in one of London’s parks during which attendees threw a pompom into the crowd with their name and address attached to it. Liz caught mine, wrote to me really quickly, and I eagerly responded. Over the next decade or two, we wrote to each other regularly and I always experienced a thrill when I got home from school/college/work to find a letter from Liz waiting for me, packed full of news. I lived in Teesside and Liz lived in West Sussex so meeting up wasn’t an option but we finally managed it when we were in our late twenties. We’ve since met on several occasions and it’s always so lovely to catch up. Sadly, we don’t write to each other anymore as messages on social media have taken over but I am so thankful that Liz caught my pompom that day because she’s provided friendship, support and happiness for over 30 years now. Not many pen pals last beyond a few letters but we certainly made it work.
I’d also like to thank my writing friends Jo Bartlett and Lynne Davidson for some valuable insight into the world of fostering. Their guidance on this was really appreciated. If there are any errors in any aspect of how this works it will be down to my misinterpretation.
Another thank you goes to the amazing North Yorkshire-based artist, Lucy Pittaway, who is the inspiration behind Jed’s artwork as well as his story as to how he became the artist he is. Lucy creates the most delightful pictures full of warmth and colour, an iconic range being her sheep and highland cows. They feature stunning Yorkshire countryside in all seasons and weathers, with some recognisable landmarks in many of her images. For Jed, I therefore took Lucy’s concept but on a Yorkshire Coast setting.
On holiday in the Yorkshire Dales several years ago, my husband and I purchased a limited edition print of Lucy’s from a gallery in Richmond. A month before I finished writing the original version of this book, we visited Richmond again to see if we could pick up another of Lucy’s prints, knowing she’d since opened her own gallery there. What a surprise I had when I saw where her gallery was: the same premises where I’d set up and run a specialist teddy bear shop in 2003-2005. Running Bear’s Pad was a very special time in my life because I started writing while I had the shop, during quiet days, and it was as a result of having my own business that I met my husband. To have started my writing journey in Bear’s Pad, to have bought one of Lucy’s prints many years later, to have decided on her as the inspiration for the artist in my book, then to discover her gallery was in the same premises where I started my writing journey felt like destiny.
If you’d like to see Lucy’s work, please check out: www.lucypittaway.co.uk
There’s also a lovely video on You Tube about Lucy’s work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=RfaetaCoL7g
I’m enormously grateful to the team at Boldwood Books for being such an amazing and supportive publisher. I’m so proud to be part of Team Boldwood. My editor, Nia Beynon, is a dream to work with, full of fabulous improvements and encouragement. And thanks to Dushi Horti and Sue Lamprell for their copy editing and proofreading talents, as well as the designer Debbie Clement for the gorgeous cover.
Finally, my thanks go to you, my readers and listeners. If you’ve enjoyed any of my books, it would be amazing if you could tell others by leaving a review online and also recommending my stories to friends and family. Reviews make a massive difference to an author. You’ll see some really long reviews but you don’t need to write an essay. A positive rating and a short sentence are equally welcome.
Big hugs
Jessica xx