Blog Tour: Inspiration behind Zara in Follow Me Home by Cathy Woodman

Today is my stop on the Follow Me Home blog tour and I'm delighted to welcome Cathy Woodman who has written a guest piece about what inspired her to create her central character Zara.

Hello Shaz

Thank you very much for welcoming me to your blog as I continue on my tour with my new book, ‘Follow Me Home’. 

When I set out to write this book, the latest in the Talyton St George series, I wanted to tell the story of someone who plays a key role in the community and a midwife seemed to fit perfectly. I called her Zara, and decided to have her move in with her grandmother who runs the newsagent’s, selling bric a brac as well as sweets and newspapers to make ends meet. 

 A picture of Zara holding her sister’s baby popped into my head and I asked myself the question: How would she feel if she found out she couldn’t have children when she was looking after pregnant women and delivering babies every day?

Having experienced fertility investigations myself, I know very well how painful it can be 
when people are having babies all around you and you can’t have one yourself. The stress of not being able to conceive contributes to the demise of Zara’s marriage and, although I was lucky – I have two wonderful children – I found myself wondering if you ever come to terms with being childless, and how you deal with that when entering a new relationship. When is the right time to tell your boyfriend that you can’t have a baby, and what do you do when you find out that he really wants a family, and would make an amazing dad?

I had fun writing about Zara, local shepherd Lewis and a rather naughty puppy, and I loved 
revisiting some of the old characters in Talyton St George in ‘Follow Me Home’. I hope you enjoy reading it too. 

X Cathy