I’m delighted to be sharing an extract as part of today’s blog tour spot for ‘The French Cookery School.’
Mix together a group of mature students:
A culinary Sloane, a take-away cook and a food journalist.
Add in:
A handsome host
Season with:
A celebrity chef
Bring to the boil:
At a luxurious cookery school in France!
Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors of La Maison du Paradis, his beautiful French home. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the ideal business plan.
Running away from an impending divorce, super-snob Caroline Carrington hopes a luxurious cookery holiday will put her back on her feet. Blackpool fish and chip café owner Fran Cartwright thinks she’s won the lottery when her husband Sid books her on a week working alongside a celebrity chef. Meanwhile, feeling she is fading at fifty, journalist Sally Parker-Brown hopes her press week covering the cookery course will enable her to boost her career.
But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?
Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis, then sit back and enjoy The French Cookery School!
Purchase Link https://mybook.to/TFCS
Author Bio & Social Media Links –
Caroline James always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs. When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her books.
The French Cookery School is Caroline’s tenth novel. Previously, The Cruise, described as: ‘Girl power for the over sixties!’ was an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller. Caroline’s hilarious novels include The Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.
She likes to write in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred, her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the SOA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety of audiences, including cruise ship guests.
Books by Caroline James:
Contact: www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk
Twitter: @CarolineJames12
Facebook: Caroline James Author
Insta: Caroline James Author
Extract-
Many thanks for inviting me to your excellent blog. This extract is from my new novel, The French Cookery School and here, cookery school guests, Caroline and Fran meet for the very first time…
‘Don’t mind me, dear!’
Bordeaux Airport was busy. School vacations had begun, and the race to get to France’s holiday homes, gites and hotels was underway. In the bustling arrivals terminal, travellers waited to collect luggage and pass through immigration. Weary from their journey, they were suddenly energised by the mechanical sound of the luggage carousel beginning to rotate.
Caroline Carrington felt that she was melting. There had been no breeze when she’d left her Kensington home in the early hours, and the oppressive heat that hung like a cloud over the streets of London felt even hotter on her arrival in France. She fanned her face, hoping that the coming week was worth the expense and remembered the previous day when Stanley, her soon-to-be ex-husband, had yelled at her.
‘Dear Lord, Caro!’ Stanley exploded as he stared at the banking app on his phone, eyes wide. ‘A luxury holiday at Quinta do Lago would be far less than the price of this wretched cookery course you insist on joining.’ Stanley’s complexion was puce as he shook his unruly mop of thick blond hair.
Caroline ignored Stanley’s rant. There was no likelihood of them ever taking a holiday together again. ‘Do calm down,’ she told him. ‘You’ll have heartburn if you carry on.’
‘Heartburn is the least of my worries if you insist on spending money we simply do not have.’ Stanley grunted. He reached into their wine fridge to uncork a Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 and, pouring a large glass, guzzled it down.
Caroline refrained from reminding Stanley that a regular delivery of expensive Napa Valley wines was one of the reasons that their bank account was constantly overdrawn.
Now, as she waited for her luggage, Bordeaux Airport felt hot and uncomfortable and she mopped her brow, shaking her head to rid all thoughts of Stanley. Pleased to be out of the poisonous atmosphere at home, Caroline watched cases of all shapes and sizes teeter precariously on the moving carousel. Remembering how carefully she’d packed for this trip,she wondered if her broken heart was parcelled into the tissued layers of designer clothing. She certainly hadn’t left it in Kensington, just anger and confusion in her wake. Unable to live up to her husband’s expectations over the years, the end of her marriage was painful and Caroline needed space to think.
Stanley hadn’t stirred when she moved noisily around the house, slamming cupboards, and raising the volume on the kitchen radio. His snores rumbled from behind the door of his bedroom. At least he was home, she thought as she saw her Samsonite suitcaseburst onto the carousel, and not out till all hours doing goodness knows what. Securing her Louis Vuitton monogrammed bag onto her shoulder, Caroline braced herself and reached out to grab the handle of her case.
‘Don’t mind me, dear!’ a voice called out.
Caroline felt a hot hand on her arm, causing her to stumble and let go of her case. ‘Really!’ she exclaimed in frustration and, as her luggage was transported away, she turned to see who the voice belonged to.
‘Ah, that’s a shame. You’ll get it next time round.’ A rotund woman in orange slacks and a matching T-shirt stood before Caroline. Her lips were as orange as her outfit, and Caroline noticed lipstick staining her teeth.
‘Be a darlin’ and grab my holdall.’ The woman nudged Caroline and nodded as a vast canvas bag that had seen better days wobbled towards them.
Caroline gritted her teeth and was tempted to move away, but remembering her manners bent forward and, with considerable effort, grabbed the woman’s heavy bag and heaved it off the moving belt.
‘Thank you, duckie,’ the woman said, ‘that’s very kind, and I’m sure your bag will be along soon. Now, where’s the lav? I’m desperate to spend a penny.’
‘Duckie?’ Caroline muttered, clenching her jaw as she watched the orange vision trudge away.
* * *
I do hope that you enjoy The French Cookery School and I wish you and your visitors many happy reading hours. Warmest wishes, Caroline xx
With thanks to the author and Rachel at Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in the tour.
Further stops can be found here:
Pickled Thoughts and Pinot 
Thank you so much for hosting my new novel, The French Cookery School on your blog. I do hope you and your followers enjoy this extract and happy reading xx