- What motivates you as an author?
I’m not sure if it’s OK to say this, but it’s not so much motivation as a compulsion to write. I have to do it.
Initially, when I started out, I thought I’d hit on the perfect writing schedule. I thought I’d write in the mornings – in longhand – edit what I’d written in the afternoons, and type it all up ready for the next day. A nice, neat, orderly routine.
Real life hasn’t worked out like that at all. I learned very early on that inspiration doesn’t keep regular working hours. I also learned that I’m now at that age – when if I don’t immediately scribble down that bit of cool dialogue I’ve suddenly just thought of, or exactly how my heroine could extricate herself from her current predicament, then it goes straight out of my mind – never to return. My small flat is littered with notebooks in varying stages of dilapidation so I can write things down the instant they occur to me. And then one thing leads to another, of course, and I can see a story stretching out in front of me, so that has to be written down before I forget and that’s how I often end up writing two books at the same time.
I suppose it’s just a compulsion to tell stories. To create characters people will love. And hate. And it’s a wonderful excuse to stare out of the window for hours, and instead of being told off for daydreaming and to get on with my job/lesson/ the hovering, people tip-toe around me, whispering, ‘She’s working.’ And occasionally bringing me a mug of tea. I love it.
- How do you support other women through your work?
All my main characters are women. I’d like to think they’re all strong women although not all in the same way.
Max, the heroine of the Chronicles of St Mary’s, is very definitely ninja-like. And a bit of a disaster magnet. If a thing can go wrong for her – it will. She’s very human – she makes mistakes – but she usually gets there in the end, even if she has taken the long way round.
By contrast, Elizabeth Cage – the main character in the supernatural Elizabeth Cage series – is a home-loving person. Her response to the many horrors in her life is to turn out her kitchen cupboards and shampoo the carpet. It’s her way of dealing with events outside of her control.
Jenny Dove from the Frogmorton Farm series is shy, reclusive, has a stutter, and no self-confidence. And yet she eventually triumphs over all the obstacles in her life because she possesses a strength of which she’s completely unaware.
Elinor Bascombe from the Regency romance A Bachelor Establishment is a mature heroine whom life has passed by. She’s around forty, capable, unromantic, and nothing ever happens in her life until the day someone shoots her. Things pick up after that!
They’re all very different women. Max is very obviously heroine material – the others, less so. Years ago women were all expected to embrace marriage and motherhood. Anything else was almost unthinkable. Today, women are expected to be miracle-workers, juggling home responsibilities, rearing children, forging careers and doing the shopping in their lunch hour. It’s almost compulsory.
I feel very strongly that it’s OK for women to be whatever they want – ninjas, housewives, heroines, stay-at-home-mothers, world-leaders, disaster-magnets, authors. As long as it’s our own choice and not imposed on us by others to suit their agendas – it’s all OK. Just be yourself. I’d like to think my books reflect that.
- In what way do you feel you inspire others through your books?
This is a tricky one. It took a long time for me to realize that others were finding comfort and support through my books. That I, as an author, could be important enough to have an effect on other people’s lives. As my readership grew I began to receive messages saying things like, ‘Your books have helped me through a really dark time. Thank you so much.’
This is not something I set out to do and for me, it’s actually quite humbling to know that something I have done has made a difference – often a big difference to another person. Everyone has dark times in their lives. I’ve had a few myself, and during those times I turned to books for comfort. To lose myself in another and much better world for a while. Usually I’d reach for a Georgette Heyer romance. They’re well-written and amusing and there’s a lot of them, which, given my propensity for catastrophe-clusters, is just as well. There’s always an entertaining story, well-drawn characters, and best of all, the security of knowing that the hero and heroine will always get together at the end.
I find it quite astonishing to think my books have actually done this thing for others. To know that they’ve helped someone when they really needed it is a wonderful feeling. I sometimes feel that I’m paying off a debt and it’s a pleasure to do so.
- Tell our readers about your favorite book.
Oh – tricky! I sat down one night and compiled a list of my ten favorite books. They weren’t really my favorites – they were books I thought would make me look intelligent and well-read. (As opposed to my usual, shambolic, barely-making-it-through-the-day self.) You might be relieved to learn that I’ve since lost the list so you’ll get my actual favorite book.
There’s a lot of competition, but I think the book I’d always like to have with me – especially on my desert island – is The Lord of the Rings. For many reasons. Yes, it’s a cracking read, but it’s the creation of a whole new world – its history, language, mythology, geography – that really appeals to me. It’s almost our world but not quite. It’s recognizable but other. And the story is thousands of years old before it even starts. I love that depth and color.
And it’s a tragedy. The characters can’t win. They know they can’t win but they go ahead with the quest anyway because it’s the right thing to do. And at the end of it all, after all the effort and all the struggle and all the sacrifice, it’s still the end of their world as they’ve known it and the Age of Man will begin.
Secondly, it’s long – there’s a lot of story to read under the shade of my palm tree. Thirdly, it’s very heavy – a useful weapon against bears, wolves, vampires, dread Cthulhu, and so forth.
It was the first real fantasy book I read – after Narnia, of course – and for me, it’s still the epic fantasy. I read it in my teens – I think many people do – and I’m not sure whether or not I’m viewing it through the lens of teenage rebellion, changing times, political upheaval and O-levels, but even after all these years, it’s still my first choice.
I’ll probably never be asked to appear on Desert Island Discs but if I am, my other choice would be How to Survive on a Desert Island. With easy-to-follow diagrams and instructions. None of this Fit Flange A to Hinge B with Screw C nonsense. Because you wrestle for hours and then find you’ve assembled your bookcase inside out and your family come round and laugh at you.
- How can readers learn more about you?
Aha! An easy question. Please see below. And to reassure nervous readers – these details were not compiled by me. There was once an unfortunate incident with a link (provided by me) and an embarrassing site so I’m not allowed to do that anymore. Readers may click with confidence.
The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal – Out 12th September
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