No other genre offers the unique ‘triple E’ rating as much as Historical Fiction: education, entertainment and escapism. Best are those books that revive a hitherto hidden heroine: a woman with agency, who isn’t formulaic. Finding them isn’t easy, and the leap from fact to fiction a labour of love. Let me take you by the hand and lead you back in time for a millennium.
My new novel ‘The Last Princess’ is about Gytha Godwinson, the daughter of England’s true House of Dragons and of its last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold II. Godwinson – isn’t that in 1066, that hour zero of the British Isles? Yes, it is. But if this vast timespan is an enormous challenge, it also gives you great liberty.
Yet rule number one of writing historical fiction is stringent research before you even think of picking up the pen. I read for almost a year to immerse myself in this long bygone world. Research is the rigid, non-negotiable frame in which the story and the plot may teem and swarm as the most colourful of images – an image I am determined to paint in ‘The Last Princess’. A reader gives me their most valuable – and that is not their money, but their time.
But the Anglo-Saxons treaded famously lightly on the surface of this earth, building in mud, wattle, and daub and living in harmony with nature and its seasons: call it medieval mindfulness. If their ‘settlements’ are long gone, Bosham’s chapel is largely unchanged since Anglo-Saxon days. The distinct two storey architecture of Gytha’s family home, Bosham Manor, is depicted on the Bayeux tapestry. It is here that Gytha’s story starts, during a raucous Modranecht, and the candle-lit glory of a great Hall. But already, the seed of discord is sewn, and it turns the ground beneath her feet into quicksand. The events of that evening will swallow her life and her world, forcing her forward into her fabulous fate. This fills the firm framework of research such as an image popping with colour, swarming and surprising! Gytha’s times – the High Middle Ages– were an era of intense change, especially for women.
By autumn 1066, Christianity had reached most corners of the European world. Historically, there is much more evidence of women and how they interacted with the world around them, both religious and secular. Yet it also triggered a type of repression in which women’s bodies are seen as inherently polluting. At the same time, Christianity enables female spiritual growth and the development of canon law also impacted Christian women’s status. If the Fourth Lateran Council solidified the need for consent within marriage, Thomas Aquinas dictated that women owed their husbands ‘a conjugal debt.’
It is in this field of tension that Gytha grows up: ancient rites clash with strict Christian morals. This gives Gytha the courage to question the powers in place and makes her story irresistible: prepare yourself for a wild ride. ‘The Last Princess’ is stringent historical fiction that teems with trolls, malevolent stars, green-faced fairy folk, giants, nasty Norse sorceresses, handsome hunks, and an evil spell that keeps our beautiful, flame-haired Princess captive – and it’s all true. After she witnesses the Battle of Hastings through a crazy twist of super-natural story-telling – we are a 1000 years ago, aren’t we? – Gytha’s life has different plans for her; or does she have different plans for her life? She dares the unthinkable and as she faces fight or flight, she picks both: Gytha lives trial, terror and finally triumph. Her story bridges myth and modernity: She speaks in a strong, clear and modern voice about the demise of a cursed kingdom and the emergence of a new empire.
But which empire is it that the last Anglo-Saxon Princess founded?
Let me surprise you: I am writing book two of the series ‘The Sunrise Queen’ as we speak.
Ellen Alpsten was born and raised in the Kenyan highlands and holds a MSc from the IEP de Paris. She worked as a News-Anchor for Bloomberg TV before writing fulltime. Her debut novel ‘Tsarina’ and its sequel ‘The Tsarina’s Daughter’ (both Bloomsbury Publishing) is widely translated and were shortlisted for numerous awards.
An absolute note perfect novel based on Maria Callas’s love affair with Aristotle Onassis. A fictionalised story of the ultimate Diva of Opera. I was obsessed with this book and did not want to put it down. I have always been a fan of Maria Callas, and Daisy Goodwin is a writer at the top of her game.
In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she’s the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. Yet her fame has been hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her, Maria learned early in life how to protect herself.
When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she’s found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
And then, suddenly, it’s over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.
Diva is sexy, glamourous and an absolute must-read. Available here.
HRT Husband Replacement Therapy Kathy Lette
Kathy Lette is known for her wit and this book is no different. It takes serious issues and even tragic moments, and tells them with humour and aplomb. Endlessly entertaining, and both heartwarming and funny, HRT Husband Replacement Therapy is a great antidote to reality. Escape between the pages.
An outrageously funny, heartbreaking read – when Ruby finds out she has cancer on the brink of her 50th birthday, she decides to start living instead of complying…
Ruby has always been the generous mediator among her friends, family and colleagues, which is why they’ve all turned up to celebrate her 50th birthday.
But after too many glasses of champers, Ruby takes her moment in the spotlight to reveal what she really thinks of every one of them. She accuses her husband of having an affair and lambasts her mother for a lifetime of playing her three daughters against each other – it’s blisteringly brutal.
As the stunned gathering gawks at Ruby, the birthday girl reveals that she has terminal cancer, and has cashed in her life savings to take her two estranged sisters cruising into the sunset for a dose of HRT – Husband Replacement Therapy. But is Ruby being courageous or ruthlessly selfish?
Another belter from Kathy Lette. This time four women reunite for the first time in decades as they enter midlife. The world has decided they are no longer relevant and so they take their revenge. It’s a fantastic, escapist comedy. Throughly enjoyable with many laugh out loud moments.
WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU, IT’S TIME TO GET EVEN.
Matilda, Jo, Penny and Cressy are all women at the top of their game; so imagine their surprise when they start to be personally overlooked and professionally pushed aside by less-qualified men.
Only they’re not going down without a fight.
Society might think the women have passed their amuse-by dates but the Revenge Club have other plans.
After all, why go to bed angry when you could stay up and plot diabolical retribution? Let the games begin…
I needed a moment after finishing this book. Damn, it’s a masterpiece. The story about a former child actor who quit at the top of her game because of the actions of the director she worked with for years. It’s a forensic take on Hollywood and the metoo movement. Ella Berman knows her characters inside out. The relationships between them is tender and realistic. You won’t be able to put this book down.
Grace Turner was one movie away from Hollywood’s A-List. So no one understood why, at the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, she disappeared.
Now, one year later, Grace is back in Los Angeles and ready to reclaim her life on her own terms.
When Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke – the man who controlled her every move for eight years – she knows there’s only one way she’ll be free of the secret that’s already taken so much from her.
The Comeback is a moving and provocative story of justice – a true page-turner about a young woman finding the strength and power of her voice, from the author of Reese’s Book Club pick Before We Were Innocent.
CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: Fearne Cotton, Matt Haig, Katie Piper, Melanie B, Holly Willoughby, June Sarpong, Izzy Judd, Beverley Knight, Dermot O’Leary, The Duchess of York, Jo Malone CBE, Paul Weller, Alex Scott MBE, Dr Julie Smith, Emma Bunton and Melissa Hemsley
I absolutely adore this book. Kindness is the most important thing. This book is full of quotes and wisdom, as well as things to do and advice. It is perfect for adults and children and is beautifully illustrated. Buy in bulk to hand out this Christmas.
Unlock the incredible power of kindness with this small book with a huge heart.
Packed with inspirational quotes, tips, actions and pearls of wisdom from famous personalities, experts and inspirational leaders alike, each page of this beautiful book will help you be kinder to yourself, to other people, and to the planet. Be Kind celebrates kindness in all its forms and demonstratesthat kindness can truly change the world.Kindness is your superpower, and this book will teach you how to use it well.
Rosie Nixon lives in Surrey and is an author, coach and broadcaster. A former magazine editor in chief, she is the founder of Rosie’s Reinvention Retreats, a series of carefully curated ‘retreats in a day’ to support midlife women. She is a mother of two and the author of three previous novels, The Stylist (2016) and sequel, AmberGreen takes Manhattan (2017), and Just Between Friends (2020). Be Kind is her first non-fiction book.
The Perfect Christmas book from the Queen of Christmas. Best read with a hot chocolate for extra festive feels. It has family drama, a love story and it’s set in a Cotswolds village. Bliss.
Will this Christmas finally bring comfort and joy?
A PAINFUL SECRET
Imogen loves her job as an events organiser, and her colleagues are in awe of her. But Imogen isn’t the person she pretends to be, and she’s hiding painful truths about her past. But as long as she can keep on top of her work, Imogen can put everything else to one side.
AN ACT OF KINDNESS
And then Imogen makes a catastrophic mistake at work, and finally realises it’s time to reset. When her favourite client, Dorothy, invites her to spend Christmas with her and her family, in her cottage in the Cotswolds, it sounds like the perfect way for Imogen to take stock.
FINDING HAPPINESS AT CHRISTMAS
Imogen soon settles into idyllic cottage life, especially with the prospect of a new romance on the horizon … but when long-buried secrets and unwanted faces from the past resurface, Imogen’s new peace is threatened. Will Imogen end up alone this Christmas, or can she find it in her heart to forgive and move on?
This is a sumptuous page turner. The lives of two women are told expertly. It’s a glamorous love story which is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. Perfect for fans of The Crown.
A royal princess. A dress lost for decades. A love story waiting to be uncovered… London, 1988: Meredith has landed her dream job at London’s most prestigious fashion house, creating beautiful gowns adorned with intricate beads and embroidery. But now Meredith is about to create a dress like no other for the most famous woman in the world: Diana, Princess of Wales. As Meredith pours her heart into this career-defining dress, she works under the handsome and exacting William in the workroom.
William, and this commission, could end up changing her life in more ways than one… New York, 1997: The red carpet has been rolled out on Park Avenue for the auction of Princess Diana’s dresses for charity. Of the eighty items listed for sale, only seventy-nine will sell.
Because dress Number 19 is missing… England, 2018: Jayne has met all the neighbours in her new building bar one: Mrs Chalis on the first floor. When she finally meets Meredith Chalis in the hallway, she is taken aback by how upset she seems and offers her help. Entering her home, Jayne immediately knows something is very wrong. The house is in complete disarray and there is no sign of Meredith’s husband.
But then Jayne sees the most beautiful evening dress thrown over a chair and reads the note laid beside it.
Jayne realises that Meredith has an incredible story to tell… and only she can help uncover it…
Perfect for fans of Strictly and historical fiction. We’re a sucker for a wartime story, and this is a page turner.
You’re invited to a show to remember at the prestigious Buckingham Hotel . . .
In London 1942 the war is far from over for soldier Raymond de Guise. His wife Nancy is overjoyed to be reunited with her husband, and to introduce him to their son. But their safety is threatened once more as Raymond returns to the ballroom at the Buckingham Hotel, ordered to discover the dark secrets held by the glittering high society. On the dancefloor Raymond uncovers a dangerous relationship that could change the course of the war, and also threaten his marriage to Nancy. Can he protect his King and his family before it is too late?
A DANCE FOR THE KING is a pageturning and epic wartime story filled with drama, mystery, dance and romance.
The shock of it almost being 2025 is softened by the fact you will all get to read Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley soon. It’s an incredibly thriller that grabs you by the throat. I love a legal thriller and Bad Blood is an outstanding one. A perfectly paced and twisty story that captures small towns perfectly after Justine Stone returns after her ex-boyfriend is accused of murder.
I never saw the ending coming and the story is complex and gripping, with brilliant characterisation. An addictive thriller which will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished reading. A triumph.
What would you do if your childhood sweetheart was accused of murder?
Justine Stone left her hometown in Essex eighteen years ago, and she hasn’t looked back since. Married to Noah, with a beautiful house and a high-flying career as a barrister, she rarely thinks about her ex-boyfriend, Jake.
Until she’s given her first murder case, and sees his face staring up at her, charged with a horrific double murder.
The Jake that Justine loved would never have hurt anyone. But as evidence begins to come to light, Justine has to face up to the fact that perhaps she never really knew Jake at all. And as the past begins to merge with the present, Justine’s life that she’s worked so hard to create begins to fall apart.
You can run from your secrets. But they’ll always catch up with you.
This is a wonderful and atmospheric novel which sweeps you away, not letting you go until the very last page. Perfect for fans of historical fiction.
Cornwall, 1934.
Violet Ellis is living in the shadows of her father’s ruined reputation. So, when wealthy widower James Atherton offers her employment, she immediately begins the treacherous journey to his home on the remote Cornish island of Aoife’s Bay – despite the bone-chilling allegations surrounding his late wife Elizabeth’s death.
In James’s company, Violet begins to feel the love that has been missing all her life. But when anonymous letters start to plague the bay’s residents, threatening to expose what really happened to Elizabeth, Violet feels the hostility towards her grow. She has an unsettling sense of being watched in her new home, and as the mysteries of the island draw her in, she starts to fear she might never find a way out …
Sweeping across London, Oxford and the wilds of the West Country, this novel is perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Louise Douglas and Lucinda Riley.The Secrets of the Watch House is out now.
The Trip Phoebe Morgan
I’m a huge fan of Phoebe Morgan. She writes these dark and complex book which you can really stick your teeth into. She’s also amazing at writing books that are readable in a way that is very hard to write. If I have four hours and a Phoebe Morgan book, I’m happy. Now the weather has turned The Trip will also transport you back to summer. We all need a bit of that, don’t we?
The perfect holiday. The perfect crime.
Four friends on the holiday of a lifetime. Until a vicious murder shatters their paradise.
Four friends who’d do anything for each other, until now.
Kate Dylan is one of the best YA authors writing today. Her books are marvel on steroids, with a fun, feminist twist. Until We Shatter is an enemies to lovers heist fantasy from the author of Mindwalker. Sheer brilliance and just as good as Mindwalker. Kate Dylan drowns you in the world she has built and sometimes you will wish she left you there. She takes no prisoners. Loved it.
This is not just a book on feminism. It is also a stunning and brave feminist memoir on domestic abuse and single motherhood. Weaving the personal and the political into a must read book. Considering what is happening with women’s rights these days, And Still We March, is an essential read for everyone. Well researched, it educates and leaves you feeling a little more empowered.
Around the world, women’s rights are under attack.
In 2022, the US Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, restricting access to abortion across America. The decision mirrored a global trend towards a devastating unravelling of women’s freedoms; a reversal of hard-won progress, and a battle that continues to be fought on both sides of the Atlantic.
Following in the footsteps of her mother fifty years before her, Marisa Bate is galvanised to journey across America, meeting the women on the ground, and telling the stories behind the headlines. Examining half a century of feminist struggle in the UK and the US, she also finds herself tracing the roots of her own family, seamlessly interweaving the personal with the political.
Lyrical, poignant, and bursting with defiant hope, And Still We March is an urgent and perceptive dissection of female autonomy, motherhood, and a woman’s right to choose.
Oh how I adored The Commuter. It’s an absolute masterpiece on thriller writing. I inhaled this book, desperate to get back to it as soon as I put it down. It’s got a flawed female character (my favourite kind) and a plot that doesn’t let you go. Dark and addictive with a huge dollop of style.
I used to dread rush hour. Now I live for it…
Rachel wakes from a coma to discover her controlling husband has been killed, and the police suspect her of involvement.
But all Rachel can recall from the last few weeks are tantalising flashes of a fellow commuter. A man whose name she doesn’t know.
A man who has disappeared without a trace.
Now Rachel is a wealthy widow and the vultures are circling, wanting her in prison for murder, or failing that … dead.
Can Rachel discover the truth in time to save herself?
One Hundreds Moments Of Us is fantastic. A wonderful steak of a novel that really fills you up. It has One Day vibes as it follows Ashley and Charlie and their relationship over the decades. This brilliant idea is executed perfectly as we read about one hundred moments of their relationship. With stunning characterisation and nostalgia in abundance for millennials I am going to have to insist you buy a copy now.
They say life is made up of moments.
So is a relationship.
From the moment he sets his eyes on Ashley Oliver at sixth form on the cusp of the new millennium, Charlie falls in love. It isn’t all sunshine and roses though and it takes several years and more than one chance meeting before they begin their relationship.
Will they survive everything the world has to throw at them or will the pressure of life, love, and London be too much for them?
Told through moments big and small, trivial and significant, this is the moving and uplifting story of a relationship – the ups, the downs, and everything in between.
An unforgettable romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens, Jill Mansell and Mike Gayle.
A Merry Little Christmas Cathy Bramley
Who doesn’t love a Christmas book. Cathy Bramley has written a snowy book full of female friendship and the real issues of being a women. I really enjoyed how it captured the real complexity of female friendship and being in a different place from a friend. Ultimately uplifting and heartwarming, it doesn’t shy away from real life. A perfect snowy read.
In the snowy market town of Wetherly, Merry is about to take on her biggest project yet – the arrival of a new baby. She has always dreamed of being a mother, since losing her mum at a young age. Everyone is so excited, so why is Merry feeling terrified? And why is she struggling to open up to business partner and best friend Nell, whose help she needs at their thriving candle shop more than ever?
What Nell desperately wants for Christmas is a baby with husband Olek. But when she uncovers a shocking truth about Olek’s past, dreams of a family are turned upside down. Nell feels she has no-one to turn to, as Merry is wrapped up in her own plans for the new baby.
Tensions run high as Christmas approaches, and Merry and Nell’s friendship reaches breaking point. As long-held secrets finally come to light, can Nell and Merry save the most precious gift of all – their friendship?
As the nights get darker and Autumn draws in it’s the perfect time to curl up with a book. There is no book more perfect for a wintry evening than The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells. Modern magic meets perfect prose. I read this in one day. It is an absolute masterpiece and one of my favourite books of the year. It incorporates magic in a modern way that feels natural.You will love meeting the Woodsmoke women as much as I did. An evocative and compelling story about lost love and the magic of coming home. Absolute perfection.
The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells follows Carrie Morgan, who expects trouble when she returns to Woodsmoke after ten years. What she does not predict is the beautiful stranger who walks into her life with the first frost.
Cecilia Ahern also loved it: ‘It captivated me from the very first page. It reminds me of why I love writing and why I love reading. It’s magical and grounding at the same time, otherworldly and natural. I absolutely treasured it from beginning to end.’
Rachel Greenlaw grew up in North Cornwall, surrounded by wild moorland. She studied English with Creative Writing at Falmouth University before moving to the Scilly Isles. She is an expert on life on a remote island.
I finished reading The Commuter yesterday. I raced through it. It’s a brilliant domestic thriller which had me hooked from the very first page. Preorder now because it’s brilliant. Here’s my interview with Emma.
The Commuter is your seventh novel. How does that feel? It’s a huge achievement.
It feels like a huge achievement! I started writing, submitting and getting rejections when I was in my late twenties, found an agent in my late forties and published my debut when I was fifty, so I definitely put the work in. I still sometimes pinch myself.
Does the writing get easier?
I think the writing does, the editing doesn’t. It’s a long hard slog full of dead ends, frustrations and moments when I want to run away from it all. But when it’s finally signed off the satisfaction is huge. Writing the first draft is such a pleasure. If only the first draft was the last!
Where did the idea for come from?
I’ve lived in London and used the tube all my life and I’ve always enjoyed the free newspapers. The Rush Hour Crush feature in the Metro is so intriguing. When I was a teenager I used to look for Mr Darcys, now I scan faces and wonder what I’d write if I fancied someone. No one so far! It seemed like there could be a thriller in there somewhere.
What is your writing routine?
I get up early, ideally around 6am, have breakfast and start work. Then I work fairly solidly until twelve, have lunch and go for a long walk to mull over what I’ve done and set up the next chapter for the next morning. I like routine and deadlines and I’m not very flexible. But it gets things done.
Do you have a favourite novel that you have written?
Yes, my favourite is Keep Her Quiet which came out in 2020. One of the protagonists is an arrogant male author. I loved writing him!
What books have you read recently that you loved?
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley-Heller. I recommend it to anyone who asks me what to read next.
Do you have any favourite authors?
Loads! JP Delaney for quirky concept thrillers. Stephen King for lessons in story-telling. Celeste Ng is fantastic for family based noir. Robert Galbraith because I adore Cormoran Strike and need to know what happens between him and Robin. I like American literature too. AM Homes is a favourite. I wish Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie would publish another novel!
How did you get published?
Since it took me such a long time, that is a very good question. I had given up for a few years, then my oldest child went off to University and I felt like I had to have another go. I wrote two novels, both rejected, then started writing short stories and entering them in online competitions. These did well. I had about a 25% hit rate of first, second and third prizes and those gave me credibility in the eyes of agents. I needed that because I had zero connection to the publishing industry. I turned one of the prize winning stories into a novel and this time, instead of sending it out to a handful of agents, getting rejections and losing heart, I sent it to thirty within three weeks so that I wouldn’t give up at the first No Thanks. That worked. I had twenty-six rejections, four requests for the full manuscript and an offer. One of the best days of my life. My agent at the time, Victoria Hobbs at AM Heath, secured a deal with Transworld.
What advice would you give other writers?
Mark out your time, even if it’s only half an hour a day. Stick to a routine and write even if you don’t feel like it.
Learn to properly critique and edit your own work before you give it to anyone else – I did a course on this and it was invaluable (Jericho Writers).
Don’t give your MS to friends and family to read and comment on. It puts them in a difficult position. Instead, if you’re serious start saving up for a professional critique from a reputable company like Cornerstones, Jericho Writers or The Novelry. But don’t send them anything until you’ve gone the extra mile. (see learn to critique and edit your own work!)
Also, interrogate your ego. It could be getting between you and representation. There’s the ego that will organise a professional edit but not take the advice because it doesn’t agree. There’s the ego that has that one precious pearl of a book and can’t move on from it despite repeated rejections. There’s the ego which will only write ‘what I want to write’, and won’t look for the space where what it wants to write dovetails with what people want to read.
What’s next for you?
Next is a thriller about the devastating aftermath of a lie told by an angry and embarrassed teenage girl. That’s coming out in October 2025 and I’ve just sent a draft to my agent to take a look at before it goes to my editor. I have everything crossed! I heard today that she’s read a third of it and loves it. Hopefully the next two-thirds won’t change her mind.
I’ve written since I can remember. I wanted to be a journalist from about 6yo and my passion for telling stories has continued since then! It was lockdown that gave me the time to write my first book, it gave me a chance to escape
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Oh everywhere! For my romcoms it’s a mixture of people watching (listening!) and dreaming of exotic places. For the historical ones I have a real passion for telling forgotten women’s stories, particularly from the early 20th century so I’m often on the lookout for the next story. Swim was inspired by something I saw on the Antiques Roadshow, whilst the one I’m working on at the moment was influenced by an advert I saw!
What’s your writing routine?
I don’t know if it’s a routine to be honest. I’d love to say I have a special desk with a view where it’s all peaceful, like the writers of yesterday, but mainly it’s write whenever I’m free. Sometimes I can get a chapter down first thing in the morning, other times it’s much later in the day. If I’m writing a book I do tend to try and get a chapter down a day as a minimum, so I don’t lose the momentum.
You also write novellas as Holly Green which is very cool. Can you tell us more about that?
The novellas were a way for me to dip my toe into writing romcoms, but I thought it best to write under a pen name whilst also bringing out the other books (it’s been a busy ten months), to prevent confusion. I like the novellas as they’re all around 40k, they’re all marketed as fun, light reads, and I love the response I’ve had to them! They’re called the Secret Series, but can be read in any order.
You have written for twenty years, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write the thing. I know it’s tempting to go on loads of courses and read lots of advice, but honestly, the two things are write the thing you want to say, and make sure you read loads too, whether that’s in your genre or the magazine you want to write for. You’re not a writer if you’re thinking about writing a book…but you are if you’re actually putting words down on paper!
You write both historical and contemporary fiction. Do you have a favourite?
That’s like trying to choose a favourite child… I love them both equally because they do different things for me. I love writing commercial and romantic fiction because I love telling a fun story, I love bringing the way I view the world to paper, whereas with historical fiction it needs so much research and can be a slog to get it to work, but once I’ve got under the skin of the character and can say what I want to say, something clicks and the words flow.
Star Survivor is based on reality television. Did the drama those shows have make it easier or harder to write the book?
To be honest, reality TV isn’t just about the drama on screen, it’s as much about whatever is happening off screen too. Take Love Island, we see what’s on screen, then we discuss it all on social media and make judgements, and then afterwards we dissect relationships and people as though they’re characters. It’s too easy for us to forget they’re real, that’s part of the reason I wanted to write SS.
You write about a real life Olympian, Lucy Morton, in Swim. How did you weave fact and fiction together so well?
I wanted to celebrate Lucy’s story, I was surprised noone had before. But I realised that it couldn’t be a book ‘just’ about swimming, there needed to be things other people could be interested in. That’s where the fiction came into it. I wanted to talk about what was happening in those times in the context of a woman’s place. I love Swim, and am thrilled at the reception it’s getting.
I love your social media posts. Especially TikTok. Do you have any advice for writers who want to put themselves out there?
To be honest, all authors need to be on social media, unless you’re Margaret Attwood! I’d recommend choosing one or two channels and sticking with them. The most important thing is to be real. Don’t try and be someone you’re not, or follow trends. It’s all well and good trying to go viral, but most of the times there’s no real rhyme or reason to a successful sm post. Be yourself and have fun. If you don’t want your face on there, don’t do it. Post about the themes of your books, or your research but mainly try and engage with people.
What’s next for you?
Lots! The third in the Secret series is out September, Secret Crush. I’m working on a second historical fiction novel set in the same era as Swim, and have a couple of other projects in the pipeline too. Though three novellas and two books in 11 months is enough for this year…
I am lucky enough to get invited to the HQ Digital Showcase. The last one I went to had the amazing Louise Candlish talking about her new book. Louise is incredibly talented and there was such a buzz in the air when she was talking. A true superstar author with a fantastic career. We hung on her every word. There wasn’t much information about the book but it was about holiday homes and the housing crisis. I knew immediately that I wanted to read it. I couldn’t wait. Luckily, time goes fast and the book was in my hands soon enough and, damn, what a corker. My invitation to Pine Ridge did not disappoint. Charlotte and Perry have owned their clifftop holiday home for years and now their city friends, Amy and Linus, have bought a home nearby. The two couples and their families look forward to a fun summer socialising and sipping rosè. Problem is, the locals are sick of being priced out of their home and now they’re protesting, headed up by the charismatic Robbie. What follows is an intriguing novel that entertains with every single page. I read Our Holiday months ago and it has stayed with me. From the well-rounded characters you can’t help but feel you really know, to the clever plot that weaves every trail together beautifully. Our Holiday is one of the books of the year. Written by a writer at the top of her game. This is the perfect summer thriller. Grab a copy now. You won’t regret it.
