Will You Remember Me? is a look at what happens when cancer comes to knock at the door of an ordinary family. It is not overly medical or depressing and there is a great deal of humour that acts as a foil to the dark subject matter. I revisit Poppy, one of my much loved characters from my first novel Poppy Day and it is wonderful to see how much Poppy has achieved as she lives her happy life in the Wiltshire countryside with the man she loves and her two small children. It is an uplifting book that has been described as 'air punchingly uplifting!' It carries the message that not only does life go on, but that with love as the glue, families can survive just about anything...
Will You Remember Me?
Six years ago you quit your job to write full time so what made you finally say ‘I’m doing this now’?
I think getting the all clear after beating bowel cancer made me think about what I wanted to do with the second chance that i'd been given and what I wanted was to spend more time with those I loved and write stories! It put things into perspective for me and made me realise that happiness and success can't be measured in money or things, for me it can only be measured in how happy I am and writing brings me an extraordinary amount of joy.
You have always scribbled notes as ideas for books so when did it start to form into your first Poppy Day? The ideas and notes for books and characters are still sitting in various notebooks! Poppy Day popped into my head in about four minutes, beginning, middle, end and all the characters and the various twists and turns, just like all of my stories they whooosh into my head in their entirety. I am sure i will delve into my notes and scribblings one day...
How did you begin working with Ami Smithson of Cabin London for your book covers?
They say you can't judge a book by the cover, but I do! and I am so very fortunate to have my covers designed by the very talented Ami Smithson of Cabin London, she started designing my covers at the beginning of my career and her designs just keep getting better and better.
You are active on Twitter and Facebook so how important is it for you to keep in touch with your readers?
I love the immediacy of social media. It is wonderful to receive a message from someone that has just turned the last page on one of my stories and is able to give me feedback. I LOVE that me and countless strangers are linked by nothing more than the love of a good story, it's like the ultimate global book club!
What are your key ingredients for not turning off the bedside lamp- which you once said is your main aim with your writing?
A good character that you feel you know and don't want to abandon, no matter what the time! A storyline that keeps you hooked right up until the last page and the right pace that makes you feel you don't want to dawdle over my tales.
Please tell us about your time on This Morning.
I was the author in residence Summer 2013 where I gave top tips on how to get published and wrote exclusive short stories for the This Morning viewers. It was my first regular TV slot and I learnt a lot and loved every second.
How challenging did you find it to write about domestic abuse in your second novel What Have I Done?
The most crucial aspect of that novel was to do my research. I spoke to many women victims and I was bowled over by their courage and heartbroken by their experiences. Some of the women I spoke to are still in abusive relationships and I think about them every night before I fall asleep.
What is next for you?
I have just finished my next novel Christmas For One which comes out in November and have started the one that comes after that dealing with extreme post natal depression. I am also writing a one woman play called 'A Woman Like Me' and it's fab, I'm loving writing in a different discipline and have lots of plays in my head that need to get written, that should keep me busy for a while!