Spotlight & Giveaway: Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Freya Sampson to HJ!

Hi Freya and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Nosy Neighbors!

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

NOSY NEIGHBORS tells the story of two neighbors-at-war, 77 year old Dorothy Darling and 25 year old Kat Bennett, who become unlikely allies when their building is threatened with demolition, and even more unlikely amateur sleuths when someone starts targeting the residents of the building. It’s a story of found family, the power of community and second chances at love, with a generous helping of mystery and mayhem.
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“I have become so consumed with the what ifs and the life that was stolen from me, I stopped living the life I still have.”
“You’ve been punishing yourself for something that wasn’t your fault, or mine. It’s time to let go of that guilt and move on. We’re not so old, Dorothy, and it’s not too late to give ourselves a happy ending.’’

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The idea for the book came during lockdown, when I became a nosy neighbor myself! I’d lived on my street for years and never paid much attention to my neighbors before, but suddenly confined to my house all day, I became fascinated by the people who lived around me. And it made me think what it would be like for someone who’d been confined to their home for decades, rather than just a few months, and who’s entire world had become the neighbors in her building. And so Dorothy Darling was born.
• There’s a Jack Russell Terrier in the book called Reggie, inspired by one of my neighbors very cute dogs!
• I set the story in Chalcot, the fictional town where my first novel, THE LAST CHANCE LIBRARY, was set. So for anyone who’s read my first book, you’ll find a few Easter eggs hidden in the story.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

My younger heroine, Kat, is deeply distrustful of other people, and so the first time she meets Will she’s suspicious of him. Yet despite her best intentions to keep him at arm’s length, she’s attracted to his kindness and strong sense of justice, as well as his dimples and tattoos!

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

There is a scene toward the end of the story that made me very emotional writing it. Dorothy Darling has spent 40 years living in self-imposed isolation, complaining about her neighbors and believing everyone hates her. But in her hour of need, her neighbors all step up to help her in a very dramatic way. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but it always make me cry and cheer when I re-read the scene.

Readers should read this book….

Because it’s an uplifting story about the power of facing up to the secrets from our past, and the way our lives can be changed if we open ourselves up the people who live around us. And because I hope it will make readers laugh and cry!

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m writing an uplifting mystery set around a dysfunctional book club, which should be out in 2025.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 1 Finished copy of NOSY NEIGHBORS by by Freya Sampson

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: One of the themes in the book is about neighbors putting aside their differences and working together for a bigger cause. Have you ever come together with your local community for something important?

 
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Book Info:

Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett has never felt at home anywhere, and especially not in crumbling Shelley House. According to her neighbors, she’s prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat is plagued by guilt from her past.
Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling is Shelley House’s longest resident, and if you believe the other tenants, she’s as cantankerous and vindictive as they come. Except there’s a good reason Dorothy spends her days spying on her neighbors—a closely guarded secret that no else knows and the reason Dorothy barely leaves her beloved home.
When their building faces demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy become unlikely allies in their quest to save their historic home. But when someone starts to play dirty and viciously targets one of the residents, Dorothy and Kat suspect foul play in their community. After the police close the investigation, it’s up to this improbable pair to bring a criminal to justice.
 
 

Meet the Author:

Freya Sampson works in television as a creator and executive producer. Her credits include two documentary series for the BBC about the British royal family as well as a number of factual and entertainment series. She studied history at Cambridge University and in 2018 was short-listed for the Exeter Novel Prize. She lives in London with her husband, two young children, and an antisocial cat.