Fiona Harper

Fiona Harper

Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams is about a proposal planner – yes, there are such things in real life! People not only hire experts to help them plan the ‘I do’ moment, but the ‘will you marry me?’ moment too. She gets the opportunity to plan a glitzy Christmas proposal that will put her business on the map, but things don’t always go as smoothly as she’d like!

Please tell us about the character of Nicole.
Nicole believes all the hopes and dreams she’s been working towards will finally be within her grasp this year, as long as she sticks to her plan! Unfortunately, photographer Alex Black – the man she’s supposed to be helping his girlfriend plan a proposal to – becomes one sexy spanner in the works.

You were constantly teased when you were young for having your nose in a book, so who are your favourites now and who did you enjoy back then?
As a child I loved fairy tales and fantasy, but also Anne of Green Gables, Enid Blyton’s boarding school books and the Narnia series (I still cry every time I read the scene where Lucy and Susan find Aslan’s body). Now, I love reading all sorts of things. I’ve always been a sucker for a good crime novel or a thriller, as long as they’re not too gory. I like thought-provoking emotional stories and also there’s plenty of space on my bookshelf for witty rom coms that make me laugh and cry at the same time.

You live in London, so why is Scotland and the English countryside so special to you? 

I’m half Scottish, so the Highlands definitely feel like a second home to me. There’s something about the wild beauty that thrills and calms me. I love the Kent countryside because, although technically, I’m a Londoner, I live right on the edge of the city, closer to fields and horses than I do the centre of town.

You also enjoy a romantic movie, so which ones do you play over and over again?

Strictly Ballroom, for it’s over the top humour, fabulous dancing and swoon-worthy love story. I also love a good rom com. Most played in my collection are 27 Dresses, Sweet Home Alabama, Serendipity and another ballroom flick, Shall We Dance. The Pierce Brosnan version of The Thomas Crown Affair is also a firm favourite. I also love anything with Doris Day in it!

Why is living in a dream world not such a bad thing for a writer?

Well, I need to populate my stories somehow! It’s all got to come from inside my head. Which seems like a tall order until I remind myself I’ve been playing with imaginary friends for as long as I can remember, or narrating stories inside my head as I walk down the road. Inadvertently, as I grew up I trained myself for my current profession. It just took me a while to work out this is what I was really good at.

How much does your passion for romantic books and movies help you to write your stories?

I think my total love affair with happy endings helps. While I do read books and watch films where things don’t always turn out right, there’s something about a great happy ending that just makes you feel better about life, more hopeful and optimistic. I think we all need a little bit of that in our lives.

What is next for you?

I’m taking my Doris Day obsession to the next level and working on a book about a Doris Day fan who suddenly discovers her life is starting to resemble the plot of the hit film Pillow Talk. I’ve watched almost 30 Doris films for research purposes. Sometimes, being a writer is such a hard life! It’ll about out next Spring/Summer and it’s going to be called The Doris Day Vintage Film Club.

 

 

 


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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