Why St Ives?
The gobsmackingly gorgeous Cornish town of St Ives provides the setting for The Perfectly Simple Complicated Life of Maggie Halloran. Maggie lives there in a renovated fisherman’s cottage on Baiiley’s Lane in the Downalong (as in the down along the harbour) part of the town. But why St Ives? And what is this Aussie author doing setting a story in this far-flung part of the world?
Quite simply it’s because I love Cornwall. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to and explore Cornwall three times now (it should have been four, but I’ll just say 2020 and a certain virus intervened☹) and it never gets old. It’s magical, mystical and more picturesque that any place has a right to be – if you’ve been there, you’ll know exactly what I mean. As for St Ives, if you’ve never been there, let me convince you that it was the perfect place for Maggie’s perfectly simple life to get suddenly complicated. Let me share with you five things I love about St Ives.
Stone terrace houses and whitewashed buildings. Cobbled laneways that draw you down. Hanging baskets overflowing with colour. And history every which way you look.
St Nicholas Chapel atop the headland known as The Island dates back to the 15th century – it’s a landmark that you can see from all around St Ives and along the coastal walk. And it stands out gloriously in the sunset hours.
Speaking of sunsets, this is the view from the Porthmeor Beach Café. Hubby and I plus friends enjoyed our 30th anniversary dinner there. Great food, great company, great sunset.
The St Nicholas chapel again, a closer view this time. But that’s not my point. My point is, check out that September sky! That blue on the cover of The Perfectly Simple Complicated Life of Maggie Halloran is not a fiction☺
2pFalls! I know this is an odd-looking photo if you have never encountered a 2pFalls machine before but it’s a game with shifting platforms loaded with 2 penny pieces. It’s a four-sided machine so this is just one side of it. The object is to insert more 2p coins at just the right time to land behind the coins on the platform and push them onto the platform below and then hopefully into a chute near you. Win!! It’s a great game to play competitively as everyone knows by the rattle of coins when your rivals gets a win. 2pFalls plays a fun part in The Perfectly Simple Complicated Life of Maggie Halloran and I can’t wait to play it again – next time I get back to St Ives.
There’s so much more I could write about St Ives. It’s a gorgeous part of the world to visit if you haven’t already. And if you haven’t for a while or forever, then maybe pick up The Perfectly Simply Complicated Life of Maggie Halloran and enjoy a book visit. Armchair travelling can be almost as much fun as visiting in person (with the benefit of no flights, no pesky airline delays and best of all, no outrageous airfares).
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, Trish Morey has written thirty romances for the internationally bestselling Harlequin Presents line and her stories have been published in more than 25 languages in 40 countries worldwide, including being published in Manga comic book form in Japan, and as Trish Moreyova in the Czech Republic. Trish was awarded Romance Writers of Australia’s Romantic Book of the Year Award (the Ruby) for short, sexy romance In 2006 and again in 2009, as well as being a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Awards in 2012. A qualified Chartered Accountant by trade, Trish was employed as financial manager at a major business school prior to her first sale. Trish lives with her husband, 4 daughters and assorted menagerie in the beautiful Adelaide Hills.
I loved this book and enjoyed your interview. I actually googled 2pFalls when I read it in the book.
What beautiful views. I can see why you enjoy visiting there.