The Romance Panel with Julie Haworth, Nicola Knight, and Farrah Rochon at Bark! Fest
Join these three celebrated authors for a charming panel that honours the ways in which animals can give Cupid a helping hand.
By Zazie Todd PhD
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This delightful panel celebrates romance.
In Julie Haworth’s New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Café, Tori has been dumped and left stranded in Asia by her long-time boyfriend, but back home, can a hunky fireman and a clowder of rescue cats help her find happiness? In Washed Up by Nicola Knight, a drunken stranger is stranded on Frankie’s island during a storm. With the ferries cancelled she can’t escape him, but she soon realizes she doesn’t actually want to. In Farrah Rochon’s Pugs and Kisses, veterinarian Evie appears to have the perfect but boring life, when her college crush returns to town and the animal shelter where they volunteered in student days is under threat.
September 24 at 11 am Pacific (2 pm Eastern / 7 pm UK time).
This event is hosted by Zazie Todd and Kristi Benson.
Please support the authors by getting their books. They are available wherever books are sold, from my Amazon store, from Bookshop, and most likely your local library too.
New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe by Julie Haworth
New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe by Julie Haworth
New Beginnings at The Cosy Cat Café tells the story of Tori who, after being dumped and left stranded by her long-term boyfriend Ryan on a trip of a lifetime to Asia, returns home to the sleepy Sussex village of Blossom Heath with her tail between her legs and her dreams shattered.
Donning her frilly apron to help her Mum, Joyce, behind the counter at The Cosy Cup Caf̩, Tori starts to believe Рwith the help of a hunky fireman and a clowder of rescue cats - that perhaps the secret to her future happiness might lie closer to home than she ever thought possible.
If you love your romance with a side order of cake, cats and cosy community dynamics, this is the purrfect uplifting, feel-good read from the winner of the RNA Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year 2023.
With a degree in English and American Literature, Julie Haworth worked as an English teacher for a number of years, specialising in working with learners with literacy difficulties, before launching her own freelance copywriting business. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and her debut novel, Always By Your Side, which she wrote whilst recovering from Covid in 2020, won the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award in 2023.
Washed Up by Nicola Knight
Washed Up by Nicola Knight
A handsome stranger and a stormy summer's day are the perfect ingredients for love at first sight. Well, almost...
When a hungover stranger is stranded on Frankie's tiny island during a storm, her only priority is getting rid of him as quickly as possible. Dylan is obnoxious, glued to his phone and, worst of all, claiming to be a famous musician. Frankie doesn't believe a word of it.
With the ferries cancelled and no way off the island, it's clear she can't escape him... but soon realises she doesn't actually want to.
Then, just as suddenly as he arrived, Dylan's gone again - back to a life Frankie doesn't fit into, leaving her heartbroken.
Island life continues, but everything feels different now. So when local fisherman Jake starts paying her attention, Frankie agrees to a date and tries to move on.
Until Dylan returns.
And this time, he's exactly where he wants to be. While Frankie struggles to hide her feelings, she finds herself torn between the quiet life she's always known - and safe, steady Jake - and the pull of something new and exciting with Dylan.
But what if love isn't as simple as it seems?
Washed Up is a fresh, feel-good opposites-attract romance about unlikely connections and unexpected love, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Paige Toon.
Nicola Knight is a former journalist and chartered public relations professional, who works in communications at Redwings Horse Sanctuary, a national animal welfare charity in the UK.
She was runner up in the Daily Mail First Novel competition in 2023 and her debut novel, The Night Before Christmas, was first published in September 2024 by Bloodhound Books. It was shortlisted for Debut of the Year at the Romantic Novel Awards run by the Romantic Novelists Association. The sequel, The Day After Christmas, is now available wherever you get your book fix.
She lives in South Norfolk with her husband, young daughter and three* ridiculous cats for whom she is the official door opener and designated spare human.
(*this number remains correct at time of going to press despite an ongoing campaign to squeeze in number four).
Pugs and Kisses by Farrah Rochon
Pugs and Kisses by Farrah Rochon
From the New York Times bestselling author of Almost There, a second chance romance between two dog lovers, perfect for readers of Abby Jimenez and Jasmine Guillory.
From the outside, veterinarian Evie Williams appears to have the perfect but boring life. She is desperate to figure out a way to shake it up, but gets more than she bargained for when she finds her fiancé in bed with another woman. Suddenly, Evie is without a fiancé or a job, and isn’t sure what her next steps should be. That is, until her college crush, Bryson Mitchell, returns to town.
Now, a nationally recognized veterinary surgeon, Bryson is stunned when he encounters Evie Williams for the first time in half a decade. When they learn the animal shelter where they used to volunteer is in danger of closing, the two must work together to save it. It has Bryson wondering, can he and Evie also save the friendship they once shared and finally bring it to the next level?
A native of south Louisiana, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University of Louisiana. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier and a Masters of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist.
Farrah's books have been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, NPR, The Washington Post, and many more.
When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, traveling the world, hanging around on Twitter, visiting Disney World, and trying to attend as many Broadway shows as her budget will allow. An admitted sports fanatic, Farrah feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.
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