Beginnings

Dreaming

Back at the beginning, dreaming up the story for Talking To The Turtles. The characters that had been buzzing around in my head had just come to life. Let’s start with my hero. Alec. There’s a guy somewhere out there who will never know he made it onto the pages of a juicy romance and I’m not going to reveal where I spotted him! Then Louisa – blonde and bouncy, she’s everything I’m not – apart from her love of the seas and her hatred of plastic pollution – that’s totally me. And Liam – who wouldn’t fall in love with him as soon as he crashes onto the page?

For me, it’s all about the characters.

*Photograph of Derwentwater by Joanne Bateman

STARTING TO WRITE

First…Talking To The Turtles

My whole life, I wanted to write a novel. What was stopping me? Work; lack of time; too many distractions. Then, one day, I made up my mind. I knew the story I wanted to write, inspired by our life here in the Lake District, and the characters were already forming in my head. So I sat down at the computer, and the first chapter of Talking To The Turtles landed. Then suddenly they started to do their own thing, and what started out as a little romantic folly grew into a whopper of a book – 160,000 words of first draft written over six months (fuelled by endless coffees supplied by my very supportive husband!)

I had to get it down to a more reasonable length, so I cut a bunch of scenes till it was about 130,000. At this point no-one else in the whole world had read one single word of it. Through Facebook I discovered a group called Write Your First Novel, hosted by Max Gorlov – a writing coach and mentor and a genuinely lovely guy. I had already written my manuscript, but Max welcomed me into the group and I followed his invaluable and inspiring online classes to help refine and improve my work. From this I met writers who were in the same boat as me – they’d finished their books but needed feedback. I exchanged work with these kind people – they read mine and I read theirs! I made some great friends, gained confidence in my writing, and Talking To The Turtles became a much better book. I finally plucked up courage to share it with people I know – to me, this is far harder than having a stranger read the products of my wild imagination. I sent the book to my sister to read, and though they say you shouldn’t rely on the opinion of family members, I knew she’d give me an honest opinion. SHE LOVED IT! I knew then that I couldn’t leave it sitting on the computer, alone and all forgotten.

So… with the help and encouragement of family and friends, my first book came into the world.

Second… After Dark in Greenwich Park

After Dark in Greenwich Park came from a story that I had started to write in an exercise book, a year before. It began with Trudie and Joe. I had these characters in my head and although I’d closed that book for a while, after finishing Talking To The Turtles, they just wouldn’t leave me alone.

Trudie and Joe were always destined to be lovers, but in my mind, there was going to be something very, very bad getting in their way. And that something was Trudie’s controlling husband. What started as a gentle love story grew into a romantic thriller and as I wrote, the psychological tension mounted, and the action began to race towards a thrilling climax that took even me by surprise!

The book has reached people in different ways. Some who simply like a fast-paced story with lots going on. Others who feel a connection to Trudie and Joe from reading about their emotional scars, the feelings and struggles that ultimately bring them together. Either way, writing it was an amazing, exciting experience.

Next… Mist Over Meadowland

So, what next? In this book, my imagination turned in a different direction yet again. Nina and Luke are seventeen and nineteen, and their lives are worlds apart. It’s about young love, teenage growing pains, and tough choices – I promise it will break your heart. No spoilers!