Interview with Cathy Bramley about The Plumberry School of Comfort Food [blog tour]

Women's fiction favourite Cathy Bramley has a brand-spankin' new novel out today, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food. I recently had the chance to chat to her about the new book, why she owes Jenny Colgan a pint, the differences between her self-publishing and traditional publishing journeys, and the age-old dilemma: Victoria sandwich or lemon drizzle cake? I'm very excited to say that the interview is a part of the blog tour for the novel, with each stop revealing the answer to one of the questions. I'm kicking off the tour today with the first question.


Hi Cathy! Your new novel is the scrumptiously titled The Plumberry School of Comfort Food, can you tell me about the story?

Cathy: "It’s the story of Verity Bloom who, after several years out of the kitchen, falls back in love with life through food. Verity is always there for everyone else in her life, but through being at the cookery school, she learns that it’s OK to put herself first and do what makes her happy once in a while."

That sounds great, doesn't it? Do you want to discover more about the book and Cathy's publishing journey? You can find a sneak peek of the upcoming questions below in addition to the whole blog tour schedule so you can follow the interview from one stop to the next.

• After self-publishing your first novel, Conditional Love, you've had such incredible success. Besides, of course, getting your book deal, what has been the most exciting part of this journey so far?
• What are some of the biggest differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing that people who are undecided about which route to take might not know about yet?
• When it comes to the writing process of your novels, have they all been quite similar or did you approach any of them in a completely different way?
• What advice can you give to readers who want to write a novel of their own?
• Which female authors inspire you and why?
• What is your favourite women's fiction novel of all time? Can you tell me about the first time you read it?
• In one sentence, why should readers pick up your new novel, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food?
• Finally, Cathy will answer some quick fire choices, such as: Reading or writing? eBook or Paperback? And Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm or Wickham Hall?

Make sure you follow the blog tour this week and next (full schedule below) to discover the answers to all of these questions – and more!