1. Where can I get a signed copy of one of your books?
2. Do you do events?
3. How did you get published?
4. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
5. Where does your inspiration for your novels come from?
6. Which of your own books is your favourite?
7. I see you have written a follow up to The Lido. Did you always plan to write a sequel?

Where can I get a signed copy of one of your books?

If you are based in the UK, you can order signed copies through my local bookshop Hunting Raven Books. Just let them know when you order that you would like a signed copy and what you would like your inscription to be. I can then pop in and sign it before they post it to you. I sometimes do competitions via my social media to win signed copies too, so make sure you’re following me!

Do you do events?

Yes! I love chatting to readers at book events – it’s one of the loveliest parts of my job. If you are a literary festival, bookshop or library interested in having me at your event, please contact me via my contact form or through my agent robert@robertcaskie.com.

And to keep up to date with my events schedule, make sure you are signed up to my newsletter.

How did you get published?

I wrote my first novel, The Lido, back in 2017 when I was working full-time in marketing. I used to fit writing in before work, on my lunch breaks and during evenings and weekends. It took me about a year to finish my first draft. I knew very little about publishing but found out that the next step once my novel was ready was to approach literary agents. This stage took me another year. I sent the book out to a wide range of agents and received a LOT of rejections!

After a year of rejections or waiting for replies, I was close to giving up when I saw that a new agency was looking for new writers for their list. It felt like a sign to give it one last go before giving up and moving on to my next novel.

I approached Robert Caskie and quickly received a positive response, followed by an offer of representation. We did some editorial work together and then sent the novel out to publishers. Not long after that, I had a two-book deal with lots of foreign deals in the pipeline and was able to quit my job in marketing! It was a real whirlwind and probably one of the most exciting times in my life.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Lots of people have a dream of writing a novel but I think one of the hardest parts about turning that dream into a reality is having the dedication and focus to sit down day after day and get those words down. You have to prioritise your writing time – I do this by blocking out chunks of writing time in my diary as if it were a doctor’s appointment. Otherwise writing time can fall to the bottom of the pile.

Read loads. It might sound obvious because chances are if you want to write a book you also love reading them. But reading voraciously and widely will help you understand what makes a great story. When you read, try to read critically. What is it you so enjoy about an author’s writing? What makes you keep reading? Make notes and try to apply some of those things to your own work.

Try your best to ignore the voice in your head that tells you that your writing is rubbish. Every author I have ever encountered, whether they’re working on their first novel or their twentieth, says they feel self-doubt. I think it’s just part of being a creative person. But the trick is to learn to just plough on and keep going, even if you think what you’re doing is terrible. And remember, everything can be improved. Try to get a messy first draft down to work with and then you can go over and over it finessing it. Read and listen to as much as you can about the craft of writing (I love the podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing). I’m a writing coach at The Novelry and really recommend their courses if you’re
serious about your novel. They’re practical, supportive and you’ll get one-on-one sessions with published authors, like me!

Where does your inspiration for your novels come from?

Inspiration can come from all sorts of places. I’m really inspired by locations and they often form the starting point for my novels. For example, The Lido is set at Brockwell Lido in Brixton, South London, The 24-Hour Café is inspired by Polo Bar, an all-night diner on Liverpool Street that is a London institution and my book The Island Home was inspired by my trips to the Isle of Eigg in the Inner Hebrides. My latest novel The Vintage Shop is set largely in Frome in Somerset, which happens to be where I now live!

Once I have a location in mind I then think about who might be there.
I particularly like to focus on locations where unlikely people might be brought together, like the outdoor pool that brings together a woman in her twenties and a woman in her eighties in The Lido. I draw a lot of my own experiences of life as well as writing about people I’d love to meet.

Which of your own books is your favourite?

That’s a tricky one! I always think the latest one is my favourite because each new book is so exciting to me and I get very invested in each story and the characters. But my first book The Lido will always have a special place in my heart for having launched my writing career.

I see you have written a follow up to The Lido. Did you always plan to write a sequel?

Not at all! When I finished writing The Lido I thought the story was finished.
I never planned to return to it. But during the five years since it came out so much changed in my own life – I moved from London to Somerset, got married and had a baby – that it made me think about what might have happened for Kate during that time too. I felt drawn back to her story to see how life might have changed for her.