Out & About March 2017

already doing this, I decided against it – although I have now written books set in these times. I studied Henry VIII to death at school so the Tudors were out too. Then, one day, my father gave me a copy of Pepys’ Diaries. I was so entranced with the level of detail that I fell in love with the era and decided that this would be a good starting point for my next novel The Apothecary’s Daughter . What books do you like to lose yourself in when you are not writing? My all-time favourite is Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca . I’m virtually never not writing, but when I do read it is usually something that in some way contributes to the research for my next book. However, I do like to get my teeth into a good mystery or a psychological thriller. I also read historical novels to see what other authors are doing. Right now I’m reading Amitav Ghosh’s, The Glass Palace as research for the novel I’m working on, The Palace of Lost Dreams . The story is set in Hyderabad, India, just after the fall of the Mughal Empire and at the creation of the Raj. It’s a really fascinating time because there was a lot of upheaval.  COCO & CO COLLECTIONS AND DRESS AGENCY

I’d uploaded my work on a peer critique website. My (then) agent saw my work, signed me up and found me a publisher. It only really felt real when I shared the news with my writing group, Word Watchers. We’re a close group and they were all very excited for me. We celebrated with a big bottle (or two) of bubbly. It took me 11 years to find a publisher. These days though, I know more about the industry and, looking back, would have done things differently. If I had got out and networked and attended publishing industry events and conferences I think I would have found an agent much faster. Your work has been described as “outstanding in historical content fact and fiction”. What was it that made you decide to write historical fiction? I wrote a novel about the Second World War. It was set during my parents’ time, therefore I didn’t really regard it as historical, but I had to research to fill in the gaps in my own knowledge. I enjoyed the research side so much that I decided to try my hand at historical fiction. I considered writing in the Regency or Georgian eras, but so many writers were

Not feeling pressured or rushed is essential. I like to have a calm desk and to be able to see outside. Despite that preference, many years of squeezing writing into any available moment means that I can now write pretty much anywhere. When I travel by train I just get the notebook out and pop back to the 18th century. Walking and generally being at one with nature also helps me to get my head into the right place for writing. I’m fortunate that where I live is perfect for that, as I really am surrounded by nature. I have a peaceful den at home where I can slip away to write. My desk looks out over my garden and the countryside beyond so, if I’m ever lacking inspiration, I can just gaze out of the window. As a girl, I was captivated by CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia and spent half my life looking for this magical land in wardrobes and woodland. I feel as though I’ve finally found it. Do you remember getting that all-important publishing contract? Definitely, that’s something I won’t ever forget. I remember feeling the swell of excitement when I first got the email.

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