Reintroducing is our blog series which shines a light on Team Mushens books from years past. This week, we’re looking back at Katy Colins’ The Lonely Hearts Travel Club series - and looking forward to her debut thriller, The Honeymoon, publishing this week under the name Kate Gray.

The Lonely Hearts Travel Club series began with Destination: Thailand in 2016, with sequels Destination: India and Destination: Chile following shortly after. Following the adventures of Georgia Green, described as “the backpacking Bridget Jones,” the books were inspired by Katy’s popular travel blog.

More details about Kate and her writing can be found at www.kategrayauthor.com. You can pre-order The Honeymoon here, or at your local bookshop.

What if you had a second chance… to find yourself?

Instead of slipping on her something borrowed and tripping up the aisle to wedded bliss, Georgia spends her big day crying into a warm Sex-on-the-Beach, wondering where it all went wrong.

Forced to make a bucket list of her new life goals by best friend Marie, it’s not long before travel-virgin Georgia’s packing her bags for a long-haul adventure to Thailand.

Yet, Georgia’s big adventure doesn’t seem to be going to plan. From strange sights, smells and falling for every rookie traveller scam in the book Georgia has never felt more alone.

But the good thing about falling apart is that you can put yourself back together any way you please.

And new Georgia might just be someone she can finally be proud of.

This year it is time to find the place where you truly belong…

Praise for The Lonely Hearts Travel Club…

“Brilliant, life-affirming, perfect escapism.” — Heat

“Katy writes with humour and heart. The Lonely Hearts Travel Club is like Bridget Jones goes backpacking.” — Holly Martin, author of The White Cliff Bay series

“If you’re looking for an escape from the cold, winter nights, the drudgery of day to day life and love to read about exotic locations then Katy Colins’ debut novel is the book for you.” — Ellen Faith

“Destination Thailand had me hooked from the very first page and kept me up till 2:30am as I was dying to know what happened next.” — Books and Boardies

“The perfect first-sunny-afternoon in the garden book!” — Kathleen Gray

“This is a story with real heart. We absolutely loved it.” — Heat

“If you haven’t met Georgia Green yet, you are missing out. She is one of the most fun characters you can find and I’m absolutely loving discovering the world through her eyes. I’m already looking forward to a new adventure.” — Alba in Bookland

“There is just a quality to Katy Colins’ writing that means once I picked up Destination Chile I had a hard job putting it down” — Rachel Gilbey, book blogger

“A great book to pop in your holiday/weekend bag that will make you just want more.” — The Reading Shed

Could you talk about what THE LONELY HEARTS TRAVEL CLUB meant to your writing career, and how it feels to be breaking into the thriller space with THE HONEYMOON soon?

THE LONELY HEARTS TRAVEL CLUB was the series that got me a publisher and an agent and introduced me to so many lovely readers. It was the first time I had someone believe in my writing, which was the boost I needed to write more, I can’t believe that I’m currently working on my eighth novel. At the moment there are no plans to write another Katy Colins' book, but never say never!

A new genre and a new name is all very exciting! I love that I get to reinvent myself and introduce myself to crime readers who may not have read my lighter, more uplifting novels. Being a debut thriller author not only means finding a new audience of readers but it also gives you access to the crime community, and so far it’s been a really friendly space! I met lots of thriller authors at Harrogate Crime Festival last year, including big named authors who ever so kindly read an early draft and left fantastic quotes for THE HONEYMOON.

THE HONEYMOON is your seventh novel to be published, but your first thriller - how has your approach to writing fiction changed since your debut, and how do you feel about ‘debuting’ as a thriller writer?

I wrote my debut Katy Colins’ novel DESTINATION THAILAND, the first book in THE LONELY HEARTS TRAVEL CLUB series, back in 2014 when I was travelling. Life was full of freedom and exciting adventures, many of which inspired my stories and real-life characters I met whilst backpacking. I typed ‘the end’ whilst I was living in France, about to embark on a tour across South America. Then I wrote 'the end' on the second book in the series whilst I was in Argentina!

However, it was a very different experience writing my debut thriller THE HONEYMOON. This was summer 2022, I was now married, with two young children, and living in Warwickshire, England. It was during lockdown when the furthest I could 'travel' was on my daily walk. The lack of stimulation during that scary groundhog-day cycle of life was challenging for an author, to say the least.

Then one night I had a nightmare that I'd been involved in the gruesome death of a man whilst abroad but no one believed my version of events. I was so relieved when I woke up and realised it hadn’t happened! However, this terrifying concept stuck with me. I couldn’t stop thinking of different scenarios where this would be even more catastrophic, upping the stakes and putting a newlywed couple on the last night of their honeymoon at the scene of the crime.

I didn't know if I could write a thriller, despite loving reading them, but the relief that I was fired up by an idea and motivated to write after such a creative drought was the kick I needed to try. I wrote every single day, waking up before the kids, staying up late once they were in bed, and locking myself away just to get some more words down and the first draft was completed in just two months.

I wrote quickly as I wanted to capture the fast-paced, page-turning energy that I love in thrillers but also because it offered me the chance to escape my mundane life and jet off to a far-flung exotic beach, even if there was a murderer on this fictional trip!

Are there any highlights that stand out from your early days as a published writer?

I can vividly picture where I was when I received my very first review. It was from a book blogger who I'd followed online for years, she had been sent a proof of DESTINATION: THAILAND by my publisher. I actually printed her review out on my dad's printer as I wanted to keep a hard copy forever - thankfully it was five stars!

Since then I’ve been very lucky to have had lots of great reviews and I’m grateful to every one (the positive ones, at least!). I love connecting with readers and hearing their stories too.

Of course, as in any career, there will be highs and lows which is why I'm grateful for all the guidance and advice that I’ve received from Juliet and the Mushens Entertainment team over the years. I feel so lucky to be represented by the best in the business.

Working with my Welbeck editor on THE HONEYMOON has also been an absolute dream, in fact, the enthusiasm from the whole crew has been infectious. Writing can be a solitary business but having such insightful and supportive creatives to call for help means I never feel like I’m alone.