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’m fascinated (and impressed!) by your many high-flying careers. You have been a pro tennis player and a lawyer before becoming a writer. Would you say you’re a Type A person?
That’s very kind, thank you! I would say I’m a mixture of Type A and B! I am a naturally competitive, driven and disciplined person. I enjoy working hard and putting a hundred per cent into whatever I do. That’s the good side to being Type A! On the downside, I can put a lot of pressure on myself and find it hard to switch off which I know isn’t great for my health and stress levels! Having said that, Type B people are known for their creativity and for being good listeners as well as being quite shy, which fits my personality too, and which is why I never really enjoyed law which was ultimately too dry for me, as well as being the type of cutthroat environment in which the more vocal, pushy personalities tend to flourish!
2. How do you think your past careers influenced your writing?
Although things didn’t work out for me with both tennis and law, both experiences gave me valuable life experience. All writers are great observers of the world around them, and I truly believe the more life experience you have the more authentic and rounded your writing can become, and that you willbe influenced by the people and situations you encounter, even if subconsciously. Both careers made me a stronger, more disciplined, resilient and focused person, which is what you need to be if you’re going to succeed as a writer. I had to be very disciplined playing tennis, and I feel this has helped with my writing in managing my time and making deadlines. The same goes for law which requires a methodical, organised approach and rigorous attention to detail, all of which are necessary traits in crime writing. My first two books in my Kramer & Carver thriller series – The Scribe and The Abduction – are set in the legal world, and Idefinitely drew inspiration for these from my time working in that environment, in terms of the setting, the legal aspects, the culture and the characters! Although I never practised criminal law, The Scribe is largely inspired by my time as a law student at the then London College of Law where I studied and took exams in seven legal subjects, including crime. These subjects form a crucial part of the plot, with the murderer killing in line with a pattern corresponding with the legal syllabus. Also, although none of my books feature characters based solely on any of the people I came across whilst playing tennis or practising law, there’s no doubt I’ve drawn inspiration from some of them. I tend to write about the darker side of human nature, and I definitely came across some of life’s more ruthless, dubious characters both as a tennis player and a lawyer!
3. Can you tell us about your publication journey?
My journey was not unlike that of most writers: long, arduous, at times soul-destroying, but ultimately rewarding! I started writing in 2010, andended up self-publishing a couple of women’s fiction novels in 2012/2013 having had no luck getting an agent. It took me five years to get my agent, Annette Crossland (in that time I had a rather upsetting agent experience which very nearly broke me!), and then another three years to get my first publisher, Lume Books. This, despite working non-stop on my books for eight years, editing and refining them until I practically knew them off by heart and had almost given up hope they’d ever see the light of day. I’ve faced a lot of rejection over the years, come close to offers from several of the big five publishers (which can sometimes be more heart-breaking than a straight ‘no’) and shed numerous tears during that time. But I kept going, kept honing and refining my books, hoping that one day I’d catch a break. I know that my story is no different to hundreds, if not thousands of authors out there. Writing is a tough, competitive business, and you need a thick skin to cope with the inevitable setbacks you will encounter along the way. The overnight successes are few and far between and you can’t let the turndowns get to you.Being a highly subjective industry, with so many variables, getting a publishing deal is akin to winning the lottery! When my Kramer and Carver books were published in 2019, nine years after I first started writing, it was such a great feeling knowing my work was finally out there being read! Then, in February 2021 I signed a deal for two psychological thrillers with Hera Books, and I suppose you could call the first of those – She’s Mine – my breakout book. It’s funny to think it was the eighth book I’d written (back in 2017) in all the time I was trying to get published, and took three years of submitting to get picked up. I am so grateful to Keshini Naidoo for loving She’s Mine and having faith in me. Hera have been fantastic to work with, and I suppose having struggled for so long to get my foot in the door it made me appreciate even more the incredible opportunity to work with such a phenomenal editor like Keshini. Having struggled for so long, it’s also rather incredible to think I have just finished my fifth psychological thriller for Hera, and for this I owe so much to my agent, Annette Crossland, who never stopped believing in me. Her support really kept me going through the ups and downs, as did immersing myself in my writing. I’d strongly advise all aspiring authors to start the next book when on submission. Like any skill, the more you write, the better you become at your craft, and you never know, the next book you write may just be the one that gets picked up. Writing also helps you to stop constantly checking the inbox for that magic ‘yes’!
4. You have written a lot of books. Which one is your favourite?
I would have to say that of all seven, Under Her Roof is my favourite so far, closely followed by She’s Mine. I think She’s Mine is unique in the way it is written from nine perspectives – which is quite a tricky thing to manage (!) and I’m quite proud of the twists, especially the end twist which no one has guessed so far. I suppose Under Her Roof tips the balance because of the creepy, claustrophobic vibe I’ve hopefully managed to generate, and which I feel really typifies the classic psychological thriller. Being stalked is something I think most of us fear, and is a subject I feel lends itself well to the tension, and mind games that exemplify this genre.This book is also a change from my other psychological thrillers in that there are largely only two points of view, and I really worked hard on the characterisation and chemistry between Seb and Adriana, both of whom are probably my most sympathetic of protagonists to date. Not only do they share an artistic connection, they are also drawn to one another by their mutual loss and grief. Both perfect examples of what we all are as human beings – fallible. Two people with troubled pasts and terrible secrets that haunt and entangle them in a never-ending cycle of sadness, guilt and fear. I hope this makes them more likeable and sympathetic, particularly when they find themselves at the mercy of the person who’s watching and tormenting them, and whose intentions remain unclear.
5. You have an amazing career. What are your future writing ambitions?
Like most writers, it would be a dream come true to see a book of mine adapted into a TV series or a film. Many readers have said my books would adapt well to the screen, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for that wish to come true one day! Obviously, it would be amazing to have a Sunday Times bestseller, while winning a prestigious writing award is also a long-held ambition of mine. More than anything, though, I just hope I can keep on producing high quality addictive books that entertain and bring people joy. I’d also like to finish and see published the third in my Kramer and Carver series, and find a publisher for two standalone action thrillers I wrote back in 2013 and 2016, featuring gutsy female lawyer lead protagonists. I’m really proud of those books and it would be wonderful if they could see the light of day.
6. I loved Under Her Roof. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it?
Thank you. I like to write about ordinary people and everyday situations we can all relate to in our own lives, but which necessarily take a darker turn. Thrillers are, after all, about what goes wrong! The relatability is what makes the psychological thriller genre so compelling, with the landlord/tenant relationship being a perfect example of this, and one I felt inspired to write about. Many of us will have been tenants at some point in our lives, some of us even Landlords, and in fiction this set-up has the potential to take a particularly dark turn because often, each party will be a total stranger to the other, thereby evoking all sorts of frightening scenarios in the Machiavellian minds of thriller authors like myself! ‘Stalking’ is another ‘real’ issue I was keen to explore. Rather sadly, it’s something you often read about in the newspapers these days, but at the same time, there’s something strangely compelling about it, probably because it’s so creepy and something we all fear. Likewise, living in a world where we freely and religiously expose our lives to perfect strangers on social media, along with the idea of ‘Big Brother’ watching, I thought it would be intriguing to weave this into a Landlord/Tenant story and the sheer feeling of powerlessness, claustrophobia, panic and fear it can induce.
In terms of setting, I was inspired to choose Hampstead to base the book in, having lived in the North West London area for over a decade, first as a student and then later when I became a lawyer and, later still, a mother. Although I could never in my wildest dreams have afforded to live in Hampstead, I remember taking long winter walks around Hampstead Heath with my flatmates in my student days, marvelling at the area’s mansions with their stately gates, and then in later years pushing my son around in his buggy with my NCT friends. It’s a very quaint, pretty, affluent part of London, where a person should feel incredibly safe. But of course, this is not the case for my two main characters – Seb and Adriana – and therein lies the dramatic irony I wanted to convey. The idea that appearances can be deceiving, and that just because you live a beautiful house in an extremely wealthy area, you aren’t necessarily safe!
7. I also adored The Final Party and it was set in glamorous Italy. What other locations do you have your eye on for future books?
Thank you! I always wanted to write a thriller set abroad. For one, it’s nice to be able to transport myself and my readers to another country, preferably somewhere hot and idyllic (!) especially when the weather is bad here. Basing a thriller in a sublime setting can often prove more impactful because the characters are not necessarily anticipating danger or threat but rather, a blissful, stress-free escape, only to find themselves thrown into nightmarish circumstances, often in isolated locations, thereby ramping up the tension and intrigue! I chose Sorrento because it’s an area I’m very familiar with, having holidayed there many times as a child and got married there. I’ve visited other parts of Italy too – it’s hands-down my favourite country – and I’d love to set a book somewhere like Venice or Rome because they are such fascinating, beautiful cities, with a myriad of amazing landmarks and places to hide, not to mention a labyrinth of narrow, cobbled streets to be chased down! Sadly, though, I fear Dan Brown got there first! I travelled all over the world playing tennis, and many of those locations would also make for interesting settings, as would India where my father is from, and with which I share a strong affinity.
8. You explore the dark side of human nature. What draws you to it?
Because it’s fascinating, albeit in an unnerving way! When I think about psychological thrillers, the words dark, sinister and twisty come to mind, along with a feeling of dread, tension and constant suspense, and not being able to trust what you’re being told. This is largely why I’m drawn to write about the dark side of human nature – by definition it helps fulfil those elements we deem the hallmarks of a good psychological thriller in a way writing about people’s good side would not! Focussing on people being kind and honest with each other would be far less interesting than having characters who lie and keep secrets from each other, the latter being a situation which leads to feelings of guilt, shame and conflict and which in turn, ramps up the tension. After all, readers want to feel intrigued and on edge, not comfortable! I love the way psychological thrillers explore the psychology of the human mind, how and why seemingly good and law-abiding people can commit the most heinous of crimes, whether it stems from their upbringing, or a particular wrong that’s been done to them. They prompt us to consider the darkness in ourselves as well as others. As fallible human beings we are all susceptible to the darker side of human nature – sentiments like envy, lust, greed, revenge – and I love to explore this phenomenon through issues, relationships and situations we can all relate to, and feel a connection with. Themes like friendship, marriage, motherhood – ones that strike at the core of human existence and therefore cut close to the bone.
9. What is your writing routine?
As mentioned, I’m quite a disciplined, focussed person by nature, and routine is important for me as far as my writing goes. I get up at 6.30 a.m., drop both my sons off to the bus stop around 7.15 a.m. Then I come back home, have breakfast and do some form of exercise for around an hour. I guess exercise is something that’s very much ingrained in me since my tennis days, but now it’s more important to me from a mental health perspective. It helps relieve any stress I might have and gets my brain in gear for the writing day ahead! Then, bar any appointments/errands I might have, I’ll sit down at my desk and barely move except for tea and lunch breaks, until it’s time for the boys to come home around five. If I’m in the middle of writing a book, I’ll try to get at least 2,000 words down. If I’m editing, I’ll spend all day working on that. In short, my time will be devoted to either working on my current book, doing book promotion/articles like this, or editing/researching, or a mixture of everything! I’ll invariably do a bit more work once the boys are back from school and settled but unless I’m under pressure to meet an editing deadline I rarely work beyond 7.30/8 p.m. because that’s have dinner andcollapse in front of the sofa with a great thriller/drama series time! I would rather make up the time on weekends than work into the night. I did enough of that as a lawyer and, in any case, I am much more productive in the day!
10. What advice do you have for other writers?
Become a writer because it makes you happy and you can’t imagine doing anything else! Rejection is inevitable in this industry – overnight successes are few and far between – so you really have to LOVE writing and must never stop believing in yourself else the turndowns will break your spirit. If you have talent and work hard, you will get there. You may not become a Sunday Times bestseller but you will get published, and people will eventually read your books, which is the greatest feeling, as is the first time you get to hold your published novel. Writing is a highly subjective business, and you need a thick skin to cope with the inevitable rejections, setbacks and criticism you will encounter along the way. It’s important to surround yourself with people who believe in you, as well as you believing in yourself. Also, focus on perfecting your craft and write what comes naturally to you, rather than writing what you think is on trend. It has to come from the heart, rather than a forced process readers will see through and therefore leave you open to criticism. Make sure you read widely too, as you can learn so much from other writers, and be inspired by them. It’s also a good idea to be active on social media, not just as a means of connecting with the reading and writing community, but because it’s an invaluable way of getting your name and work out there. I’d also advise asking other people you trust to read your work because it’s so easy to get so caught up in your story, you lose perspective, and so having the benefit of a neutral eye can prove invaluable. In terms of submissions, I’d say do your research and tailor them accordingly, be polite and make sure you have a strong hook for your novel that will make it stand out in a crowded market. Practically speaking, when it comes to writing your book, I’d advise aspiring writers to focus on finding a time and place that works for them as everyone is different. Wherever and whenever you choose to write, it’s important to cut out distractions, to get the nuts and bolts of your book down, then go back and refine! The most important thing is having a basis you can work off, with the finessing coming in the second and third draft.
The Memory of Us is a fantastic book. How long did it take you to write it? The Memory of Us took approximately one year to write. I don’t write particularly quickly and would panic if I had to produce a book any faster. When I gave up work to write full-time I thought I’d begin at nine o’clock and work through until five (with an hour for lunch, of course). It wasn’t long before I realised I’m not disciplined enough for that. People might be surprised it takes me twelve months to write a book, but I’m just amazed it doesn’t take even longer!
Where did the idea come from? My books have recurring themes of love, family, and friendship, often set against a life changing moment or event. From the outset I knew I wanted this story to feature two sisters and the unshakeable bond between them. Lexi and Amelia were a joy to write, and I miss spending time with them.
The book has many themes. How did you manage to thread them all together so well? I’d like to say it was a result of meticulous planning – except I don’t plan at all. However, I knew the important plot points, so it was a matter of letting the story unfold naturally and trusting everything would fall into place.
What is your writing routine like? My day starts with a dog walk, when I’ll formulate my plan for that day’s writing and often get ideas for conversations between characters. Before I begin, I go back and edit the previous day’s work. I know many authors prefer to keep their eye on the finishing line, but I’m not happy going forward if I think there’s something that needs fixing. Mornings are not my most productive time, so it’s mid to late afternoon before I usually hit my stride. Before turning off my computer I read that day’s work out loud. I find this to be a useful way of checking both the pace of the story and the authenticity of the dialogue.
What advice would you give writers who want to maintain a career? First, to keep reading in many different genres. Seeing how authors tackle a story, handle the pace, the dialogue and the plot can be very inspiring. It motivates you to bring all you have to the table the next time you begin to write. Next, is to just write. Don’t tell yourself that ‘one day I’ll write a book’. Do it. Do it now. It’s easy to think you don’t have time to write, but you just need to be disciplined and determined. Don’t set impossible goals. If you aim for just 1000 words a day, in three months you’ll have a novel. Lastly, write the book that’s in your heart. It’s more important to be aware of current literary trends than it is to follow them. At the end of the day, you must write the book you want to write and tell the story you have to tell. Perhaps it isn’t the same one that everyone is reading right then; perhaps you are bucking the trend… but it’s just possible you’re starting a new one.
What’s next for you? My next book is well underway and has a working title of PROMISE ME – although I’m sure that will change – they usually do. It is another emotional drama with some strong characters who I hope people will fall in love with every bit as much as I’ve done. I don’t want to reveal too much more, but I will say that I made myself cry writing the very first chapter, which was a first for me.
The Memory of Us’ by Dani Atkins is just published by Head of Zeus in hardback. I loved it. It is a beautiful and heartfelt novel which takes many themes and ties them together beautifully. The characters are divine and I adored the love story. I was fully immersed in this beautiful book. Superb writing mixes with a novel that keeps you guessing all of the way. I can’t recommend it enough.
Pitching to Penguin after being signed to small publishers and being self-published.
Beginnings: I had not planned to be an author. I grew up believing that books were written by others, not me, for us to enjoy. Three or four events in my life, like special occasions, led me to “think” I was a writer. I was raised in a rich environment of stories, via my mum, my aunts, my grandparents, my dad, my teachers. I enjoyed hearing them so much that I also began telling them. I had a little burst of success as a 16-year-old in a national short story writing competition with the New Straits Times. I felt that indescribable buzz when I saw my byline among 30 highly-commended entries.
The hotel rooms: As a university student and an adult, I wrote nothing. I only started when I started travelling for work in hospitality and resort design. I was in hotel rooms and airports a lot. I learned that I really valued and enjoyed observation and being alone, which of course, are the prerequisites of the writing life. I was surprised to be flooded with ideas which had nothing to do with work. I began writing again because as you know, you don’t need any fancy tools or equipment. In those days, I printed and posted my stories from airports, or the nearest post office to the hotel. This period led me to believe I had again some chance of success because I was getting accepted by the Sunday magazines. One story was bought and broadcast by the BBC World Service. I had meetings with agents in Soho back in London, which led to nothing but an inkling that my writing was getting attention, any attention. I took writing more seriously when I invested in an MA in Writing at Middlesex University. As you know it’s not free, so I was taking a big chance but I was working and it paid for the fees. I was astonished to discover that I won the Middlesex University Literary Prize in an international competition, a cash award large enough to cover a third of my fees. The judge was Penelope FitzGerald and about my story, she said she had never read anything like it in her life.
The agent: I was snapped up by an agent immediately following the prize, a decision that was poor. I had no other offers. After 5 years, she did not get me a deal despite my writing not one but two novels for her to market. I did not write a word for 10 years. My writing stayed on my hard drive. It was deliberate. I had two children whom I wanted to give 120% of my attention. After 10 years and they were in primary school, I started submitting the novel again, and following 87 rejections I won a prize in Hong Kong, also a large cash prize. This novel, my debut, Cry of the Flying Rhino, was the turning point for me, because I now was an author. My entire family flew out to Hong Kong for the award ceremony and the publication. It was a small publisher, like my second novel’s, Heart of Glass.
The pandemic: Following the two novels with small publishers which were given zero marketing and publicity and unsurprisingly, hardly earned any royalties, I started to wonder if indeed they had even been published. I wrote another, Overboard. I got 50 rejections and I decided to start an imprint to publish it as I consider it to be my best book yet. I think my limit for rejections is now 30. I do think there is a limit otherwise you will be querying until you die. I don’t think I have the time or the patience to withstand 87 rejections like I did with the first, and 55 with the second. There’s no point and nobody cares. It’s an art form. It’s not a pizza which is edible and sort of OK even when bad. During the 2-3 years of the pandemic. I ate, sleep, wrote, published. Repeat. It was like a bumper sticker.
Keep going: I did online courses on self-publishing, keywords, genres and copywriting to study the market. I cannot stress how important it is for a writer. Without knowing the market and the audience, you can’t pitch. I learned to write through editing other people’s work and through reading hundreds of books in the genres I was interested in. The MA will not teach you these skills. My objective had always been to write the best book that could write. This kept me going in the lockdown years. I published a couple more, short stories, and another novel, White Crane Strikes.
Perfect pitch: A famous author, unfortunately I forget who, said that if you cannot tell your story in 17 words, you don’t know your story. That intro letter, one-page synopsis and first paragraph in your manuscript is everything. I wrote The American Boyfriendin November 2021 which I decided I would query until that magic self-imposed 30 rejections before I would publish it myself. I would trade the complete control and higher royalties in self-publishing for a traditional deal because of the connections. By the time I started querying again post-pandemic, I had already distilled my book to the most grabby Netflix 40-word synopsis. I saw a window of open submissions from Penguin Random House Southeast Asia. I was just about to release my book, because I got to 27 rejections. 9 months after querying, in August 2022, I got the best email ever. It was from Penguin and consisted of 5 words: has this manuscript been acquired?
Worldwide connections: The worldwide connections have been the most astounding and rewarding part of the publishing experience. Having a publicist was already mind-blowing as I had never had one before with self-publishing (that would be me) or with the small publishers I had been with (that would be no one).
The Penguin publicity, marketing and sales team have opened doors from day one: no. 1 Sunday Times authors providing the cover endorsement quotes, media and press outreach including World Literature Today, Nerd Daily, Culturess, Book Riot, The Telegraph and Elle, being no. 4 on the Straits Times bestseller list in its opening week, being on sale at WHSmith at the airport departure lounge, book launch at West End London bookshop and in the USA, in Barnes and Noble physical bookstores throughout USA and at the airports such as in Key West, Miami International and JFK. I have also been invited to the Jaipur Literary Festival (“the greatest literary show on earth”) in February 2024. I have also seen an uptick in the sales of my other books. These opportunities to build audience trust and author visibility would not have been possible without the Penguin label. This experience has changed the way I see publishing as I come from a “nothing happens” school of thought from my previous publications. I am proud that my book now belongs with the orange-spined classics I grew up reading. I am inspired to keep writing. Stories keep us alive. Stories are more than ever what we need in these times.
My parting words and 5 rules of writing: Persevere. Learn to write. Write the best book that you can write. Believe that top quality writing always stands out. Above all, read.
What you have written, past and present
I’ve written three stand-alone psychological thrillers, and my fourth will be coming out in February of 2023. My first novel, The French Girl, was published in 2018, followed by The Missing Years in 2019. How To Kill Your Best Friend was published in North America last year, and will be out in paperback in the UK in July.
What you are promoting now
How To Kill Your Best Friend. It’s a psychological thriller, told through the eyes of Georgie and Bronwyn, who have been best friends with Lissa since they all met on their college swimming team—but somehow, despite her swimming prowess, Lissa has drowned off the coast of the remote island resort she was managing with her husband. Brought together on the island for Lissa’s memorial, Georgie, Bron, Lissa’s grieving husband and their mutual friends find themselves questioning the circumstances around Lissa’s death—and each other…
A bit about your process of writing
I used to write solely outside of my home (because otherwise I would find myself distracted by cleaning or laundry or really just about anything) but the pandemic lockdowns taught me to write at home; now I find I write there more than half the time. I don’t necessarily write every day, but I write most days (including weekends); I usually exercise first thing and then sit down to work after that. I stop either when my youngest son comes home from school or when I’ve simply run out of steam.
I find I write very slowly at the beginning of a new project – sometimes only 500 words in a day— because I’m having to make structural decisions at the same time; at that stage, it’s very useful to have a daily target to aim for to try to maintain momentum. By comparison, the words seem to leap out at the end of a project: I can write 10,000 or more in a week, and daily targets become unnecessary. I always seem to suffer an enormous crisis of confidence at around the 20,000 word mark, which by now is probably very boring for my lovely agent Marcy, who has to talk me down from it every time! I start each writing session by reviewing and editing what I wrote last time, before cracking on with the next section; consequently, my first draft is very clean, without many typos or grammatical errors. My first reader is always Marcy, who gives incredibly insightful editorial notes, and after that, the manuscript will go to my publishing editor.
Do you plan or just write?
I plan; I produce a four-to-five page outline before I start writing. Partly this is because my publisher requires it of me, but I would do it anyway: I’ve learnt that it is far, far easier to make progress when you have some well-thought out guidelines to keep you heading in the right direction. Which is not to say that everything is set in stone before I start writing—far from it. Many elements of the finished novel can and do deviate from that outline, but I tend to find that the beginning and end of the finished product match quite closely with what I had originally intended—it’s just that the middle might take a different route!
What about word count?
The aim is around 100,000 to 110,000 words in the genre of psychological thrillers. It’s not something I worry about particularly—I’ve always come out roughly in that ballpark in the first draft, and anyway, that can be finessed in the second draft if need be.
How do you do your structure?
I know some authors follow a rigid plan with a three-act structure or a save-the-cat beat sheet or something similar, but I’m not one of them. The outline I mentioned before will of course have a particular structure in mind, and those early chapters are crucial for putting in place the scaffolding that will provide the framework for the entire novel, but once I’m past that point, I’m generally more concerned with getting the pacing right.
What do you find hard about writing?
It’s very solitary. You have to persevere on a daily basis without any colleagues to encourage you or reassure you that you’re on the right track. I really notice the difference now that I’m writing fulltime; until last year, I was also juggling a part-time job in fund management, which gave me plenty of professional social interaction for at least three days a week. But now, given that I’m in London but my agent and primary publisher are in the US, if I were to throw an office party it would basically involve me dressing up to drink a glass of wine in a room by myself…
I also find the social media requirements that are part of being a writer in this modern age quite difficult. I’m not a natural self-promoter—I’d really rather just get on with writing!
What do you love about writing?
A lot, actually. On a practical note, it’s an incredibly flexible profession—you can genuinely do it anywhere, and, looking to the future, nobody is going to force you out of the workplace when you reach 65! I also love the interaction with readers. It’s a real privilege that anyone would choose to spend their money and time on my novels, and I’m always incredibly touched when readers reach out to tell me they’ve enjoyed them. I received some particularly poignant correspondence during the pandemic from readers who were struggling and found some escape in my books: a lovely reminder of the power of books to connect people and allow them to experience a temporary sanctuary.
But the main thing I love is the writing itself. To me, language is a delightful sort of magic, and the fact that a story can be taken from one’s head and transported to the page with words is nothing short of alchemy. Every once in a while I get a sentence just right, and it feels like I haven’t so much written it as stumbled across words that were just waiting to be uncovered—that’s a very special feeling.
I tend to judge the success of a book on how long I remember it after I have finished reading it. I could not stop thinking about The Patient after I read it. I sometimes still do, months later.
Jane Shemilt brings her characters to life so vividly it is hard to believe they are not real. You become so engaged with them they feel like friends, or people you know and do not like. Ha. The Patient is a superb psychological thriller but it is also a beautiful love story. Complex and multi-layered, it will keep you gripped all the way to the end with a twist you won’t see coming. One of my favourite books of the year. A must-read.
When Rachel meets Luc, the attraction is instant.
But she is a doctor, and he is her patient.
She gives him the drugs he needs – but in doing so, risks everything.
And when a secret is exposed, they’re both in the firing line. Not all patients are telling the truth.
As a little girl my nose was always in a book. I would even read a book a day when I was ill. I loved Enid Blyton and Judy Blume. I started writing song lyrics because I was in a band when I was younger and then I changed the song lyrics to poems. I sent them off and one of them ended up in an anthology when I was eleven. It was the start of something for me. I also had a very good English teacher who really encouraged me and told me I could be a writer. All a young person needs is for someone to believe in them.
I have been writing since I was in single figures but I let it slide for a few years to go off and work in the film industry. I started again when I had children and I am so glad I did. I got taken on by one of the first agents I contacted and then I got a traditional publishing deal too. All from the first batch of submissions I sent off. I got offered two different publishing contacts for Ember and I decided to go with Pegasus. They have been amazing. I cannot recommend them enough.
What you have written, past and present.
I have written non-fiction in the past, as well as a lot of articles and such. I have been a travel writer, a restaurant critic and a theatre critic. Ember is my debut novel.
What you are promoting now.
Ember is a story about a family who’s father left them on Christmas day when they were kids. Thirty years later the younger sister is getting married and that brings their father back into their lives. The story revolves around Dr Natalie Holmes and her boyfriend Rob in the present day, and her parents Tim and Jacqueline in the past.
Natalie goes off the rails when her younger sister gets married and pregnant before her, and her father comes back into their lives. She dumps her boyfriend on the side of the road and drives off in his car. The book is about love and family. A part of the book is about whether or not we should allow family in our lives if they have been left wanting. Can a family that has been torn apart ever heal their wounds? Will Rob and Natalie get back together? Read it and find out!
Here is the blurb:
A family torn apart by their father’s infidelity are forced to confront the past thirty years later. As Natalie’s younger sister, Amanda, prepares for marriage and impending motherhood, her plea for the family to reunite uncovers pent-up tension and animosity. Can they forget the past and become a family again?
Natalie’s life begins to unravel as their father starts to creep back into their lives and family tensions resurface, affecting her relationship with her boyfriend, Rob. Will the couple find their way back to each other, and can a family that has been torn apart ever heal their wounds?
Can you ever walk away from someone you love, or do some fires never die out?
A bit about your process of writing.
This was my first novel which I wrote simultaneously with another novel. I would wheel my son around in his pram until he fell asleep and then I would write 2000 words on my iPhone. I always try to write the first draft as quick as possible. I like to keep up the momentum and the same energy. I do 2000-3000 words a day. Editing is always tough but I am as relentless as the editing. Ha.
I have three kids so I have to write whenever I can and focus on it. Having kids has trained me to be ruthlessly efficient when I need to.
Do you plan or just write?
I just write. Total panster. You need an idea and a handle on the character. Then just let yourself fly.
What about word count?
I do 2000-3000 words a day.
How do you do your structure?
My agent, Susan, says I have a great sense of structure and it is one of the nicest things anyone has said about me. I think it is because I read so much. I am with Stephen King. To be a good writer you need to both write and read a lot. Reading teaches you to be an excellent writer.
What do you find hard about writing?
Finding the time.
What do you love about writing?
Everything.
Advice for other writers.
Get on with it. Don’t give up. Write and then rewrite. Submit endlessly. Don’t let the rejection get you down. You have to be able to take rejection if you want to be a professional writer. Just take the feedback on board, edit and then send away somewhere else. You can do it!
