
I have a large group of friends, some of which I’m proud to say are those from my childhood. My friends, old and new, are all wonderful people who regularly provide me with storylines – whether they realise it or not.
I live in Wistaston, an area of Crewe and have lived in this particular house for fourteen years – half my married life. I was brought up in various places; originally a little town in Stoke, called Goldenhill, then when my parents divorced and my mum remarried we moved to Alsager. Eventually we moved to Crewe and then finally Nantwich. When I married in 1988, I moved back to Crewe.
If you had a choice where would you choose to live, and why?
There isn’t anywhere exotic that I’d like to live, my choice would always be no more than half an hour away from my family. They are extremely important to me and I couldn’t function without seeing regularly.
Have any places you’ve visited been the inspiration for a book?
Nantwich is my inspiration for Rickeby, the town where all my books are based. Like Nantwich, it’s a market town with a community of characters that know each other, even if it’s only by sight. I did base a couple of chapters of one book in Florence. It’s a beautiful place and once I’d visited it I knew I had to include it in a book somehow.
How important do you think the setting is when you write a story?
It depends on the book, but for me the setting should be the backdrop to a good story. While the reader needs to see it in their mind’s eye, I don’t think it should be the main character. I like to think that my readers invest in my characters because I use the same town in every book, and characters pop up from other books, but it’s not an integral part of any plot.
What’s your idea of a perfect day?
A perfect writing day for me would be writing over 10 thousand words, without any distraction and then realising that what I’ve written is funny, interesting and entertaining.
A general perfect day would be, a lazy morning reading, followed by lunch with the girls and a good old giggle. Finally ending with an evening with Mr A, and our dogs curled up on the sofa, either watching TV or listening to music. Alternatively, an evening with our friends and a few drinks and laughs would be just as good. I’m a simple soul.
To find out more about Nikki and her books visit -
Amazon Author Page
Facebook Nikki Ashton Books
Twitter: @nikkerash
Website: NikkiAshtonBook.co,uk

The most recent in a long line of celebrated romance novels from Nikki Ashton, ‘Cheese Tarts and Fluffy Socks’ zeroes in on a steamy one-night stand that, unknown to either party, is about to kick-off a working relationship that is far more than awkward. A hotel badly in need of investment, a young entrepreneur has been sent in to decide if it’s a good investment, but the daughter of the owner is…well…you get the picture.
Darrington Hall hotel is barely keeping afloat, and it's up to Holly Jenkins to save it. Jumping from one crisis to another, dealing with an errant father, irate guests and enduring some highly charged professional differences with the man that Holly can't get out of her head, and it looks certain that she will fail.
Against the backdrop of a crumbling hotel, Cheese Tarts and Fluffy socks is a great read with funny and witty dialogue. Interspersed with some dramatic moments is a complex, fun and sexy love story that will make you smile and give you a warm glow.