1. What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always loved reading and making up stories. I am an only child, raised by my grandmother and her sisters, who opened up the world of books to me. Yet it was the family story which always intrigued me, and I knew that one day I would have to sit down and write it. I eventually achieved this, and it was the start of me realising that storytelling was something I could really do well. The rest, as they say, is history!
2. Describe your writing routine and where you like to write.
I have black coffee for breakfast, at least two cups, and make a point of reading the newspaper before doing the Sudoku, and the cryptic crossword. This gets me into a working frame of mind and wakes up my brain. I have an office in my house which overlooks paddocks and the South Downs, and I sit down there before ten every morning. I check my emails and Facebook, and then read through what I’ve written the day before. Editing this gets me into the next scene that I want to write. I work through from ten until around six, five days a week. If a deadline is looming however, then I might work over the weekend and at night. I find that sometimes I do my best work after midnight!
3. What themes are you interested in when you’re writing?
The theme of family, and of the intricate threads which bind people together or tear them apart. People react differently to situations, and I find it fascinating to watch my characters evolve throughout the book.
4. Where do you get your inspiration from?
Inspiration comes from everything and anything. A conversation overheard – a newspaper article – a line in a book – or a song.
5. How do you manage to get inside the heads of your characters in order to portray them truthfully?
Once I have the plot and the title, then I must have the actors playing their parts. I wait for them to come to me, to show themselves and tell me about their lives. It might sound weird, but that’s how I work. It’s like meeting new friends. You don’t know everything about them immediately, but as they talk, you can discover who they are, where they come from, their social background, their aspirations, their failures, etc. As an author I become this person, with their viewpoint, their likes and dislikes and the reactions they will have to any given situation. An author must evolve into these characters to make them fully rounded, and it doesn’t matter what gender they are – people are very similar underneath the skin.
6. Do you base your characters on real people? And if not, where does the inspiration come from?
I don’t actually base my characters on anyone, but there are certainly shades of people I’ve known and loved or disliked intensely. People like to think I’ve based a character on them, but that isn’t so – and yet I might have picked up a habit of theirs, or the way they say things, which leads them to think that it is them.
7. What’s the most extreme thing you’ve ever done to research your book?
I flew a Spitfire. It was a simulator, unfortunately, but it certainly gave me the feeling of flying – and I got a certificate to prove it!
8. What aspect of writing do you enjoy most?
I love doing most of it. Working out a story, plotting it, finding my characters and taking them through the trials and tribulations of the book to a satisfying end. I enjoy the research too, for I’ve learned a huge amount about the Second World War, and I’m constantly surprised by what I uncover. The writing is harder – and it seems to get harder the more I do it. Probably because I’m aware of the pitfalls, and because, at times, it feels as if I’m trying to knit fog – but once I have written THE END, the joy is in the editing. With the story complete, it’s great to go through it again and turf out all the things that shouldn’t be there, and to make it as good and as polished as possible.
9. What’s the best thing about being an author?
Not having to get dressed in the morning to go to work – or to go outside when the weather is foul or to battle with commuter traffic.
10. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Learn your craft. Do your apprenticeship by writing, writing and writing – and reading. Persevere – take advice and don’t get precious about your work. The publishing world is tough, so be prepared to develop a very thick skin.
11. What is your favourite book of all time and why?
There are so many favourites, it’s hard to choose. Exodus by Leon Uris was the first adult book I read when I was about eleven, and it inspired me to one day write a brilliant story. Delicious by Nicky Pellegrino because I adore Italy and the Italians, and this book is redolent with the scents of olive oil, garlic and herbs!
12. If you could be a character in a book, or live in the world of a book, who or where would you be?
I’d be the female captain of a pirate ship, sailing the Caribbean and being romanced by someone dashing and handsome – like Ross Poldark!