I’ve always written. I started on Arvon Creative Writing courses in the 1990s and one of the tutors was Beryl Bainbridge, who sent my first novel to an agent friend of hers. That was when I had my first break with a two-book deal, and I’ve been writing ever since. I’ve also enjoyed tutoring on Arvon courses myself, and for the First Story charity which takes creative writing to schools serving low income areas. Tutoring has been very rewarding, and the exploration of the creative process has really helped my own work. It also gets me out of the house!
If you had to give an elevator pitch for Lark Song, what would it be?
I’m hopeless at this. I started out trying to write a modern take on Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, but with a man, Duncan, trying to woo a widow. The dead husband, Reuben, keeps popping up in all his glory, whether in memory or photographs or other treasured objects, and like Mrs. De Winter, he is tormented by the dead spouse. A venomous mother-in-law (mother to the dead Reuben) is hell-bent on nipping any nascent relationship in the bud, and makes Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca look like a pussycat. Add three dysfunctional children who don’t want a replacement father, and Duncan has his work cut out. But determined to find out about his dead rival, Duncan stumbles upon some shocking secrets. What to do with them is his horrifying dilemma. (See what I mean? Far too long.)
How did you wish to explore the concept of family throughout this book?
I don’t think I had any preconceived ideas. I suppose most families are complex and chaotic, and not at all as they seem on the surface. This one had its fair share of secrets and misunderstandings. I do the relationships within families are where stories all start.
What made you have Duncan delve deeper into the past to see what secrets were hidden instead of solely focusing on Freya developing a new relationship?
I think Duncan is a good egg – but I don’t want him to be too good to be true. Obsessing about a former partner seemed quite a good flaw for him to have, and one that most people can relate to. Also, a former partner who is dead is very different to an ex: the deceased spouse can still be loved legitimately, whilst no one would be expected to tolerate a lover who was not over their ex-partner. Duncan doesn’t feel he can focus entirely on Freya until he has nailed down his rival. Who was he? Why does he still exert such power over her and the family? He doesn’t want to be ‘second best’ again.
