Cathy Woodman
Follow Me Home is the eighth book that I’ve set in the fictional market town of Talyton St George in Devon. I wanted to tell the story of Zara, the midwife, and the new mums and babies she cares for. Recently divorced, she is living with her grandmother while she tries to get her life back on track. She rescues an abandoned puppy and is grateful when local shepherd Lewis offers to train her. It turns out that Lewis has an ulterior motive for helping. Romance blossoms, but can Zara trust Lewis with her bruised heart? I enjoyed writing about the new characters and revisiting some from previous books.
You were a vet, so what made you make the change to writing?
I’ve always loved animals and books, and making up stories. I liked the challenge of being a vet, never knowing what you were going to see next. From routine cases to emergency caesareans, there was rarely a dull moment. When I was on night duty as a small animal vet, I used to read during the quiet times and dream of becoming a published author. It wasn’t until after my children were born that I gave up full-time veterinary work to look after them and joined a creative writing group. Soon I was sending short stories and novels to agents and publishers, hoping for a lucky break, but I received rejection after rejection. I was close to giving up when I saw an advert for the Harry Bowling First Novel Award and decided to enter.
You won the Harry Bowling first Novel Award, so how did this make you feel?
I was ecstatic! It was my lucky break. I’ll never forget walking across Waterloo Station carrying a massive bunch of flowers and the shoes I wore to the award ceremony because they pinched my feet. That evening, I met my agent for the first time, and I’ve never looked back.
Why did you want to set your books in Talyton St George?
My parents moved to Devon when I was four and we stayed there until I went off to university at eighteen, so it feels like home to me. I wanted to share aspects of this beautiful county, such as the friendly people, the winding lanes and green hills, the cider and, of course, the cream teas. Talyton St George is a fictional market town, but it is very loosely based on the real town of Ottery St Mary. I love writing about animals as well as people and rural romance provides me with the perfect opportunity. In Follow Me Home, Zara is forced to confront her fear of dogs when she finds a puppy abandoned at the roadside, while Lewis has two working collies that he’s trained to round up sheep.
You lived there as a child- so what took you to Winchester?
I have spent time in different parts of the country, including Cambridge and Surrey, moving for work and study. Winchester is a great place to live, but I would love to make a permanent move to Devon as Jennie, the heroine of another book, The Sweetest Thing, did. The mediaeval longhouse she lives in is my dream home.
Why is rural romance so appealing to readers?
I think many people aspire to live in the country. When I was working in a busy vet practice in London, living under the flight path into Heathrow and alongside a Tube station, there were times when I dreamed of escaping to somewhere more peaceful. The rural romantic heroes, such as the shepherd, Lewis, in Follow Me Home are very attractive too, with their active, outdoor lifestyles. Rural romance is also appealing because of the sense of community and the setting, and the quirky countryside events, such as the tar barrels and the annual country show with competitions for the best pet, sheep shearing and jam making.
Please tell us about the character of Zara.
She’s caring and kind, sometimes taking on too much, including responsibility for her grandmother who is growing confused. Trying to juggle too many balls can get her into trouble, yet she’s optimistic that everything will turn out well in the end. When I started writing Follow Me Home, I thought about how it would feel for a midwife to deliver babies every day, knowing that she’s unlikely ever to have children herself. Zara is a twin and her sister has no trouble conceiving.
What is next for you?
When I was writing Follow Me Home, I realised that every family Zara comes into contact with is different and each has their own tale to tell, so I’ve written a novella about one couple’s story to show what happened after their baby was born, revisiting Tessa and Jack who met in The Village Vet. I’m working on some short stories and I’ve already started writing the next book in the Talyton St George series which has a veterinary theme.