The Rose Petal Beach
What can you tell our readers about your current novel The Rose Petal Beach?
The Rose Petal Beach is the story of Tami who is married to Scott and has two children with him. Her life isn’t perfect but it works for her. Then one night there’s a knock on the door and three police officers storm to arrest Scott. Tami has no idea what is going on but when she finds out what he’s been accused of and who by, her life falls apart. As the story goes on, she discovers that most of her life has been a lie and no one around her is what they seem.
How did you capture the contrast between a perfect family unit to one that then rapidly unravels as we read?
I conducted a lot of research into the subjects covered by the book and found very often a family may look ‘perfect’ to the outside world but is far from it. With this family, Tami has many moments over the years of knowing that things aren’t right but she ignores her feelings and worries because she doesn’t want to break up her family. I think this contributes a little to the family imploding in the way it does.
The novel centres around a family, a mother, Tami, a father and two daughters, is family something that is important to you and encouraged you to write about it?
I love writing about human relationships and families in particular. I love dissecting and revealing the way people relate to each other and to themselves. All of us have a family in some shape or form, even if we don’t see them or they aren’t around the people we become is shaped by our families. Good or bad, our families influence who we are. I like to tell stories about that influence.
Having written your first book when you were just 13, knowing you loved to write, why did you opt for Psychology and Media at University?
I did consider studying creative writing for a while, but decided to do a degree that would help me to get a job. I also wanted to become a magazine journalist so thought I needed a media degree to help make that happen. Psychology is a subject that interests me, too – finding out how the human mind works is one of the most fascinating things to study.
Your novel The Cupid Effect, was inspired by a night out with your friend, can you expand on this for us?
I went to visit a friend who the character of Jess in The Cupid Effect was based upon. During the night out my friend, who is married with two older children, had lots of men approaching her while they ignored me. The next morning my friend said it was my fault that men kept coming up to her and I thought that would be fantastic idea for a book – a woman who inspires other people to follow their heart but is unable to find love for herself. Basically, a modern-day version of Cupid.
You worked as a journalist, so how did this compare to novel writing?
They don’t compare really – being a journalist and editor is very helpful in the novel-writing process. I’m very harsh on my book when I finish it because of my training and experience. I try to stand back from the manuscript and view it as someone who hasn’t written it would, questioning everything and ruthlessly cutting anything that doesn’t move the story along or doesn’t ring true. It’s always the parts of the book that you fantasise will win you awards or you absolutely adore that you have to cut out. Although I haven’t made a living from being a journalist in a while, I’ll always be a journalist and editor in my heart.
What made you decide to leave the UK and go to Sydney and work on Family Circle magazine?
My life wasn’t going in the right direction and I wasn’t happy in my job. I’d been to Australia a few months earlier for a wedding and thought it was a nice enough place so when I was looking to change my life I decided to move there. I had to get a job to afford it, so I looked on the Internet and found that one at Family Circle. I applied and was surprised when I got it but it was obviously meant to be. Completely removing myself from my life at that time was the best thing I could have done. Distance allowed me to see what I wanted to change when I came home. Leaving London and moving to the coast was the biggest change, I think.
You are an avid social networker and have a lot of involvement in festivals and libraries, how important are these elements to being a writer?
They’re important to me as a writer because I love meeting and interacting with readers. When my first book was published email was quite popular and I had a few emails from people, but now it’s so easy to be in touch with readers and other authors. I’ve made so many author friends through Twitter and Facebook, before it was quite solitary job.
What is next for you?
I’m trying to decide on the idea for my next novel and trying to complete a script. The script is something that is always bubbling in the background. I’m also working on a project that I hope will come to fruition very soon.
The Rose Petal Beach by Dorothy Koomson (£14.99, Quercus) is on sale now.
Female First Lucy Walton