Sweet Street Radio

I love using Spotify to create playlists while writing my books. For The Sweetest Kiss I wanted a playlist of happy and uplifting songs, songs that made me smile and sing along. I imagined they would be playing on the radio in the background as Maddie worked, reflecting the fun atmosphere she had created in her teashop.

I've listened to this playlist millions* of times - while I was working on the book and afterwards, when I just wanted to listen to some fun songs - and I thought I'd share the playlist with you. You can listen to the playlist here on the blog, or click here to listen on Spotify, where you can also save the playlist to listen to whenever you want!

So grab a cup of tea, a bit of cake, and imagine you're in Sweet Street Cafe!

*Very slight exaggeration

Which songs would you add to a happy and uplifting playlist?

**Previously published as The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts**

Dating has never been so sweet!

Baker Maddie Lamington is supposed to be living her best life, but she’s been dumped and her dream business is failing. Soon she is going to be single and jobless, unless she can come up with a plan to draw customers to her sweet little café.

When her apple crumble inadvertently becomes the catalyst that brings two of her customers together, Maddie has an idea to fill her café with customers – and love.

And with love in the air at Sweet Street Café, could Maddie’s delicious bakes mend her broken heart too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Meet The Sweet Street Team!

The Sweetest Kiss is mostly set in Sweet Street Cafe, with owner Maddie at the helm. Working alongside Maddie are her faithful co-workers, Mags and Victoria, so I thought I'd make a little introduction to the teashop trio!

Maddie has dreamed of running her own teashop for almost as long as she can remember. Her grandmother taught her to bake when she was a little girl and it's been a passion of hers ever since. She opened her cafe a year ago and although it's having a few teething problems, it really is a dream come true.

Although Maddie loves her customers, she's most comfortable in the kitchen with a whisk in one hand and a heavy bowl of sugary batter in the other while thinking of the potential joy the treats will bring to her customers.

Maddie's favourite sweet treat is a simple fairy cake with icing and sprinkles, as they remind her of her childhood.

Mum of two Mags is in her late thirties (though she won't tell you just how late). She's been working at Sweet Street Cafe since it opened a year ago. Mags has her fingers in all the pies at the teashop (though not literally - don't be worrying about the hygiene implications). She bakes, waitresses and balances the books (which is a relief for Maddie as numbers that don't contain lbs, kilos or other such measurements sail way over her head).

Mags is fun and flirty (especially with a certain builder who frequents the teashop) and loves nothing more than chatting with the customers.

Her favourite treats from the teashop are raspberry cream cheese brownies.

Victoria is the youngest member of the Sweet Street team and has been working with Maddie and Mags for almost six months. She mainly waitresses as baking is not one of her talents. Waitressing isn't the career Victoria envisions for herself, but she has bills to pay until her band signs a recording deal and they actually earn some cash from their music.

Victoria's role model is Avril Lavigne.

Her favourite treats at the teashop are peanut butter blondies.

**Previously published as The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts**

Dating has never been so sweet!

Baker Maddie Lamington is supposed to be living her best life, but she’s been dumped and her dream business is failing. Soon she is going to be single and jobless, unless she can come up with a plan to draw customers to her sweet little café.

When her apple crumble inadvertently becomes the catalyst that brings two of her customers together, Maddie has an idea to fill her café with customers – and love.

And with love in the air at Sweet Street Café, could Maddie’s delicious bakes mend her broken heart too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US

Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part Nine

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 9

Day 57:

So, The End is within reach. If I pull my socks up, I can have a first draft by the end of this week. It’s hard to believe that I’ve almost completed the first stage of a novel. When the writing slump arrived really early on, it threw me and I didn’t think I’d be able to pull it off. I knew what Maddie’s story was – although I’ve been thrown a few curveballs along the way, which I’ve loved – but getting the words out has sometimes been tough, and not just because my writing time has been limited over the summer holidays.

At the start of the holidays, I told myself I wanted to finish the first draft before the kids went back to school, so I’d better stop rambling here and get those words down!

Day 59:

The new series of The Great British Bake Off started last night and the technical challenge had the bakers making Jaffa cakes, which was funny because yesterday – only a few hours earlier – I wrote about Maddie baking homemade Jaffa cakes. I’m taking this as a sign. I haven’t decided whether it’s a good sign or not yet, but it’s definitely a sign either way!

Day 60:

It’s quarter to eleven on a Friday night and I’m still sitting at my desk. If this isn’t dedication, I don’t know what is.

Day 61:

The End is so close now! It’s been a hard slog at times, so I’ve bought myself the Miranda box set as a treat for when I finish the first draft. I’ve watched them all but as I don’t own any of them, I’ve been watching series one on Netflix again and again.

Day 62:

My goal was to finish the first draft of The Sweetest Kiss (now The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts) before my girls went back to school after the summer holidays and I can proudly say that with 8 days of the hols left, I have reached those blessed words ‘The End’. Yes, after 62 days and 84,123 words, the first draft is complete. Woo!

*Jennifer now collapses in a weeping heap*

The End: Reached

Brain: Frazzled

Word Count: 84,123

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US



Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part Eight

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 8

Day 49:

You know when it’s boiling hot and you’ve been shopping all day for school uniform so now you’re absolutely knackered and want nothing more than to flop onto your bed like a starfish? That’s what I feel like right now, except starfishing on the bed isn’t going to write this book. So I’m being good, keeping away from the bed (as away from it as I can when my bed and desk are in the same room) and I’m aiming for 2,000 words.

Day 50:

It’s a bit more difficult to find writing time this week as Chris [my husband] is working again after his month-long sabbatical, meaning I have to write only in the evenings. The problem with this is I find it hard to switch off after writing, so if I write up until I go to bed, I feel wide awake still. Luckily, I’ve managed to get my 2,000 words in over the past couple of days, which is keeping me on track.

Day 55:

I’ve managed to write most evenings this week, upping my word count by another 10,000 words. The End is definitely in sight now! If I carry on as I have this week, I should have a complete first draft next week, which is very exciting and will hopefully help to spur me on when I’m reluctant to plonk myself at my desk instead of watching TV!

The End: Within reach

Word Count: 70,030

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US



Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part Seven

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 7

Day 43:

Does sitting at your desk count as writing time if you're on Twitter?

Didn't think so. pic.twitter.com/jCMnt3CBd6

— Jennifer Joyce (@Writer_Jenn) August 9, 2016

I’m at my desk. Writing hasn’t happened yet. Must. Catch. Up.

Day 44:

50k, baby!

Day 44:

I’ve set myself a 3,000 words target for today. Let’s see if I can reach it…

[Later]

Did it! I wrote the 3,000 words I was aiming for – 3,088, to be precise. I’m edging closer to my original goal for this week (I should be at 60,000 but I’m just over 53,000). If I can get a few more 3,000-words-a-day done, I’ll be on track again!

Day 46:

3,000 words, Day 2 – let’s do this!

 [Later]

1,600 words down, 1,400 to go…

[Even later]:

Word count for the day: 3,062 – woo!

Day 47

So I’m now 4,000 words away from the target I wanted to reach this week (60,000) words. I have the weekend to do this in and although I have plans for most of today (Saturday), I’m confident I can do it – as long as there are no more illnesses!

Day 48:

60,000 words!!! I’ve done it! There were no illness, no major distractions, just words. I’ve managed to write almost 15,000 words this week, meaning I’ve caught up with the 10,000 words per week of the school summer holidays goal I set myself! Now I just need to keep up with the word count for a couple more weeks and I’ll have a first draft!

P.S. Sorry about all those exclamation marks. I’m just excited and super-proud that I’m back on track.

Words behind schedule: Big. Fat. Zero.

Word Count: 60,021

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US



Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part Six

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 6

Day 36:

What’s the BEST thing that can happen when you’ve fallen behind on your word count goals and are determined to catch up? You get ill and can’t bear to even look at your laptop, let alone switch it on. Perfect.

Day 38:

I haven’t managed to write a single word over the past couple of days as I haven’t been feeling well, so I’ve fallen even further behind. I’m now almost 9,000 words behind schedule, which is nearly a week’s worth of writing *weeps*

I’ll need to pull my socks up pretty high to catch up now!

[Later]:

Just reached 40,000 words, which is a fantastic feeling as it means I’m around half-way through the first draft. I’m almost a week late reaching this milestone but meh, I’m going to celebrate with a happy dance anyway!

40,000 words - waaaaahooooo! #amwriting pic.twitter.com/TXVcsvCjjL

— Jennifer Joyce (@Writer_Jenn) August 4, 2016

Day 41:

After spending almost an entire day in bed earlier in the week and another without so much as a glance towards my laptop, there’s no way I’m going to catch up with my word count goal this week, but I’m determined to keep plugging away and get as close to it as possible. I’m hoping to push myself to 45,000 words today, which will be half-way to this week’s goal, at least.

[Later]

I managed to reach 45,000 words today, which means I’m definitely at the half-way point now and I’m *only* 5,000 words behind schedule!

Milestones reached this week: The half-way point – woo!

 Word Count: 45,504

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US



Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part Five

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 5

Day 30:

So I didn’t hit my word goal last week. I meant to, I really, really did. I was going to catch up with those last 2,000 words on Sunday. And then I accidentally went bowling… and to see The BFG. Which was a lot of fun with the family, so I can’t feel too guilty about it and I WILL catch up with those pesky 2,000 words this week.

Day 33:

So, those pesky 2,000 words? They’ve sort of grown. I’m now almost 6,000 words behind schedule. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME???

Day 35:

Okay, so I think we all know why I’m falling behind with my word count goals – it’s purely because I haven’t had my bum at my desk enough. Which is why I’m holed away at my keyboard on a sunshiney Sunday to catch up.

Day 35 [Later]

I haven’t quite caught up with my word count goal for the week, but I’m a bit closer. Hopefully – if I pull my socks up – I can make up the difference next week!

Words behind schedule: 3,613

Word Count: 36,387

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US



Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part Four

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 4

Day 24:

It’s been a scorching couple of days, with yesterday being the hottest of the year so far. I’m not one for extreme heat, so I don’t actually mind sitting inside where it’s cooler to write. I’ve really enjoyed writing the last couple of chapters and feel like I’m getting to know Maddie a bit more.

Day 27:

I haven’t been very good at sitting at my desk this week so I need to pull my socks up a bit if I want to reach my weekly word target. I’ve set myself a goal of 10,000 words per week and this should mean the first draft will be finished by the end of the summer holidays. The first few weeks of the holidays will be easier to get words down as my husband is off work but I also don’t want to miss out on the fun of water balloons, trips out and rainy-day-films, so I’m having to find a balance. I’m also being lured by summer reads so I need to be more disciplined with myself!

Milestones hit this week:
I’m definitely a quarter of the way through the book!

Word Count: 28,377

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US



Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part Three

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 3

 Day 15:

Usually, at around 30,000 words, I hit the my-writing-is-so-poop-how-am-I-going-to-write-a-whole-novel slump. I’m at just over 10k and I’m already there. I know where I need to take the story but I can’t seem to find the words to get there while making it interesting. I’m going to jot down some notes about the chapter I’m in the middle of and hopefully push myself through this stage. Wish me luck!

[Some time later]

I got through the chapter! Woo! It’s all going to be plain-sailing from now on, right?

Day 18:

Today I reached the end of the first ten chapters of The Sweetest Kiss*, so I’ve sent them off to my editor to see if they’re on the right track. I’ve been enjoying getting to know Maddie and her friends and I can’t wait to find out more about them, especially Caleb. I’m also quite enjoying writing about cake – though it does make me hungry!

Day 20:

School finished for the summer yesterday, so for next seven weeks I have to squeeze as much writing time in whenever possible. Which is why I’m sitting at my desk on a Saturday evening to get a few words in!

Day 20 (later):

I really enjoyed writing the latest chapter tonight. The words seemed to flow and I’ve managed almost 3,000 words. It’s a relief after the early slump a few chapters ago!

Typos this week:

Rubber dick
[Not quite the bath toy I was aiming for. Hilarious though]

Word Count: 21,960

* The Sweetest Kiss was the working title of The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US



Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part Two

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 2

Day 9:

I heard back from my editor today with feedback of the first three chapters of The Sweetest Kiss*. There are a couple of changes suggested and at first I was a bit ‘aaaaarrrrrgggghhh – she thinks my writing is pooooooop!’ but then I took the dog for a walk and had a good think about the pointers and how I could implement the changes. At the moment, the book is told by two POVs – Maddie’s and Caleb’s. But would the story work better with just Maddie’s POV? Would it work at all?

The answer is yes, I think it could work – and hopefully better. The way Maddie and Caleb meet would no longer work out (or at least not as well) but I’ve jiggled things around in my head and put the pieces back together and I’m happy with how it looks. In fact, I’m raring to get stuck in and get it down on paper!

Day 10:

Have cut almost 4,000 words (Caleb’s chapters so far). I'm not going to lie - it hurt, but I know it’s for the greater good and it could have been worse (i.e. many more words). Now I just need to get on with Maddie's story - I've got a bit of catching up to do!

Words cut this week: 3,777

Word Count: 11,504

* The Sweetest Kiss was the working title of The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US



Writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts: Part One

I decided to keep a little diary while writing The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts, so I thought I'd share it here on the blog during the run-up to publication.

First Draft:

Week 1

Day 1:

I’m excited to be starting a brand new story and getting to know a whole new set of characters. The Sweetest Kiss* centres around Maddie’s teashop so it involves cake. Lots and lots of cake. And that is NEVER a bad thing.

I’m usually quite a big planner but this time I haven’t really gone to town with the planning beforehand. I have my synopsis and a basic overview of the main characters and a few of the café’s regulars so I’m looking forward to where the story is going to take me. I do like having the security of my plans in place so it’s a bit scary too! What if I get stuck? Meander too far from the story and get myself into a wordy knot? There’s only one way to find out and that’s to put fingers to keyboard. Wish me luck!

Day 3:

Two chapters down! I’ve met my two main characters, Maddie and Caleb (though they haven’t met each other yet) and I’m enjoying getting to know them. I’m about to start the third chapter, where we’re going to find out more about the teashop. The teashop was a cute location I used in The Wedding Date and I knew I wanted to return. At the time I didn’t really know anything at all about the business – who owned it, who worked there, the regular customers – so it’s been fun mulling ideas and finding out. This is the first book of mine where the location has inspired the whole book!

Day 4:

I’ve finished the first three chapters (and loved every minute of writing them) and sent them to my editor. Fingers crossed she likes them!

Things I have Googled this week:
Top 100 baby names of 2007


Word Count: 8,339


* The Sweetest Kiss was the working title of The Little Teashop of Broken Hearts

From fairy cakes to first dates!

Maddie Lamington’s dreams are crumbling around her. If she doesn’t come up with a plan to save her little teashop on Sweet Street soon, it might be too late…

So when she sees how the perfect apple crumble brings together her lonely father and faithful customer Birdie, inspiration strikes: she’ll set up a dating night involving all her sweetest bakes.

Luckily, seriously gorgeous Caleb is on hand to help sprinkle a little magic – and a lot of sugar! Could one night of scrumptious first dates fix Maddie’s heartbreak and save her beloved teashop, too?

Amazon UK | Amazon US