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On her 77th birthday, budding novelist (and St Austell author!) Christine McHaines received the gift of a lifetime – a five-book publishing deal for her cosy crime series.
Christine always harboured ambitions of becoming a writer but it wasn’t until retirement that she began to write seriously.
Despite a decade of accumulating manuscripts and rejection letters, her passion for storytelling never wavered.
In an interview with CHAOS Radio’s Alex Duff, Christine recalled the moment she learned her
books would finally be published.
“I was in the car with my husband, on the way back from an appointment at Treliske Hospital when the email arrived on my mobile,” she shared. “I was so stunned, I couldn’t speak. I had to double-check on my bigger screen at home to make sure it was real.”
And it was real. The publisher expressed interest not only in her initial submission but in the entire ‘Quentin Cadbury Investigations’ series – the latest of which is set against the picturesque backdrop of Cornwall.
“I’ve always been drawn to Cornwall’s beauty,” Christine explained. “I knew early on I’d set one of my books here. I’ve been taking notes and photographs for years of anything that sparked an idea I might one day use.
“There are key scenes in this book set around St Austell Bay. There’s the Eden Project, which is iconic but there are also scenes at some lesser known places like St Austell’s leisure centre. It’s nice to include some of those less famous places from where I live.”
Christine’s publisher, Erik Empson of The Book Folks, praised her ability to weave engaging tales with relatable characters.
“Her quirky protagonist duo and light-hearted style is perfect for holiday reading, and in her latest book, she captures the landscape and way of life of Cornwall to a tee.”
In her newest release, The Mystery on the Cornish Coast, the young detective Quentin Cadbury and his partner, Wanda Merrydrew, face peril when a notorious criminal they helped imprison escapes.
Forced to deliver a mysterious package or face dire consequences, they embark on a dangerous adventure along the Cornish coast.
The Mystery on the Cornish Coast, the fourth standalone book in the series, is available on Kindle and in paperback or hardback on Amazon.
Or, why not grab an author-signed paperback copy at local independent bookshop, Hurley Books, in Mevagissey.
St Austell Author Christine describes getting her Quentin Cadbury series published as ‘a decade-long dream come true,’ and offers this advice for anyone struggling to realise their own lifelong dream.
“Don’t give up. I always wanted to be published so others could enjoy my stories. More importantly, I love to write and that’s what kept me writing for so long. My advice is to follow your dream and never give up.”
#KeepItCHAOS
