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Patricia Dixon!
GUEST POST BY Patricia Dixon…
My true life inspiration for the story of Tilly

Many years ago, I was attending my neighbour’s 40th birthday party and found myself seated next to her cousin whom I’d met on several occasions. Being polite, I avoided the topic of her husband, knowing full well that they had recently split up, less than six months after they were married. As the night wore on, she asked me if I knew about her impending divorce and after I offered my commiserations that it didn’t work out, she laughed and told me it was fine because she didn’t want to marry him anyway and her wedding was a sham. After I got over the surprise my inquisitive nature (nosiness) set in and I asked her what she meant. Well, I was enthralled as she told me quite candidly that months before the wedding occurred, she had realised that she no longer wanted to get married and in fact couldn’t stand her husband-to-be. It was a simple case of falling out of love and a hasty proposal and acceptance, followed by a flurry of excitement that she got caught up in. Needless to say once her mother decided her daughter was going to have the best wedding their family had ever seen, it was like an out of control rollercoaster.

By the time everything was booked, deposits were paid and the invites sent out, she started getting cold feet which is when she decided to bite the bullet and go ahead. She didn’t want to waste her parent’s money, or disappoint them or cause a humongous drama so one day in July she sat by her father’s side in the horse drawn carriage and got married in the picturesque country church then danced at her reception held in stately home, before heading into the sunset for a honeymoon in the Maldives.
The story blew my mind but after a while, I started to think it through, look at her predicament from different angles and gradually I saw it from her point of view. Then I wondered if other brides, maybe even bridegrooms too, do the same thing. They do, it happens a lot, I researched it.

I’d had lots of letters asking if there would be a follow up to Anna and I really did want to write about her and the family again, which is when I had the idea to combine both stories and who better to step forward as a knight in shining armour, than our very own Joe. The story of Tilly was born.
Here’s your final hint about what my latest summer saga entails. It is a tale of unrequited love, honour, respect and a melting pot of family life, all played out over a few glorious weeks in the Loire.
I hope you like it.


Blurb
How many people out there say ‘I do’ for the wrong reasons?
Matilda Parker is flying to France for what should be the wedding of her dreams but soon discovers she is about to star in her own private nightmare.
Freda has spent a year planning her daughter’s perfect wedding and nothing is going to ruin it. Not even a house full of relatives, the imminent arrival of her feckless son-in-law-to-be or his irritating parent’s will be allowed to spoil it.
On the other side of the village, Anna has problems of her own. She loves Daniel with all her heart. With all her family about to descend, including her precious sons Joe and Sam, Anna has vowed that nothing will ruin their much awaited summer holiday.
Beneath a sweltering summer sun, two clans, a naughty dog, a gaggle of relatives and friends gather in the Loire. But when a visitor from hell pays a surprise visit and Joe bumps into Tilly, it looks like all of Anna and Freda’s plans are about to go up in smoke…
Amazon Author Page
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Patricia-Dixon/e/B00I1YV2RM/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Patricia Dixon was born in Manchester where she still lives with her husband. They have two grown up children and one grandson.
Ignoring her high school reports and possibly sound advice from teachers, Patricia shunned the world of academia and instead, stubbornly pursued a career in fashion. Once the sparkle of London life wore off she returned north and embarked on a new adventure, that of motherhood.
Now, almost thirty years later she has acquiesced to the wise words of her elders and turned her hand to writing. Patricia has written a total of eight novels, the latest is due for release in March 2019.
Twitter – @pbadixon
Email – dixon.patricia@icloud.com.
Facebook Links
Author Page https://www.facebook.com/pbadixon/?ref=bookmarks
Profile Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009000921564
What a fascinating post about marriage and cold feet. I’d like to think I wouldn’t have gone through with it, but I do sometimes cave under pressure. Lovely cover for the book!