Tell us a little bit about yourself and your life growing up.
My books are about our move to Portugal from the UK in 2003, and our lives here over the last 20 years, including my major spinal surgery in 2009.
Were there any cultural aspects or traditions in your family that particularly resonated with you and influenced your perspective?
Initially, I wrote an account of the events surrounding the operation, mainly for me, to remind me what happened, and also to pay tribute to several people who made my life so much easier at a very difficult time. The true kindness of strangers.
Moving to a new country can be a significant life change. What were the most challenging and rewarding aspects of relocating to Portugal with your husband and dogs in 2003?
I found this piece of writing during lockdown and decided to see if I could elaborate on it, and before I knew it I had written a book. It’s not a ‘misery memoir’, it’s mostly lighthearted as there have been many quite amusing happenings.
Animals seem to play a significant role in your life and your books. Could you elaborate on your experiences with rescuing animals and how they have impacted your life in Portugal?
I finished the book at a point where we had been living in Portugal for a year, and after two 6-month rentals, we finally moved into our own home.
Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind "Another Day in Paradise" and "Our Little Piece of Paradise" and what motivated you to write these books?
That was all that I planned to write, and felt it finished the book off nicely. Once it was published I was surprised to receive lots of comments and reviews saying ‘it ended too soon, I want to know more.’ So I carried on writing, brought our story up to date, and published the sequel. I called the second book Our Little Piece of Paradise, as we had finally bought our own home and felt settled here. The first book covers our first year living here, plus jumps back in time to our first holiday and what attracted us to the Algarve, and forward to my surgery. This is because I only planned on writing one book. The sequel is in chronological order starting where Another Day in Paradise stopped, and bringing our story up to date. There are more animal stories in the second book as we got more involved in animal rescue. We have always been animal lovers, particularly dogs (I have had dogs all my life), but we weren’t involved in animal rescue until we moved here. It’s a big problem and there are still issues with abandoned animals, it’s another of the challenges of living here. We do what we can, when we can and have worked with a number of animal rescue charities. I have bottle fed over 20 puppies and countless kittens, which is hard work but very rewarding.
"Another Day in Paradise" covers your first year in Portugal, as well as your life-changing surgery in Lisbon. Could you share some of the most memorable moments from that period and how it influenced your journey?
The most challenging aspect of moving to Portugal was, and continues to be, the bureaucracy. I know it’s a bit of a cliché but it is very different to the U.K. and lots of the rules just don’t make sense, even to Portuguese people.
Your journey involves putting down roots in a new country. What advice would you give to others who are considering a similar life-changing move?
The most rewarding aspect has been the change in lifestyle and learning about a different culture. We now have a mixture of British and Portuguese customs.
"Our Little Piece of Paradise" is the sequel to "Another Day in Paradise." What can readers expect in this continuation of your story, and how does it differ from the first book?
I think my audience is quite wide. It could be anyone who has thought about moving abroad, has already done it or is just curious about the process. With all the animal stories I think any animal lover would enjoy it too. Then there are people with my condition, scoliosis, who are facing surgery or can empathise with my experiences and I know that having major medical treatment in a foreign country can be a scary prospect. I hope that my books will show that it’s possible to have a positive experience.
Writing a memoir involves sharing personal experiences. How did you decide what aspects of your life in Portugal to include in your books, and what factors influenced your writing process?
I tried to include snippets of information, and events that I thought would be either humorous or touching. The books have been described as heartwarming and uplifting, so I think it worked.
How has your writing and storytelling evolved through your experiences in Portugal, and what message or takeaway do you hope readers will gain from your books?
I hope readers enjoy the books. I know you can’t please everyone, but I have had some amazing feedback and over two years since the first book was published, sales are still going strong. I have achieved over 1 million page reads on Kindle Unlimited, which is really exciting.
Your book's title, "Our Little Piece of Paradise," is intriguing. Could you tell us the story behind the title?
Although my surgery was a success, as my surgeon told me, ‘I am operating to stabilise your spine, not to remove the pain.’, I am now disabled. I cannot sit comfortably, or walk far, or even stand still. I spend most of my time flat on my back, so I wrote both books on my phone, with my thumbs. If you are determined enough, you can overcome most obstacles. However it does mean that I don’t have much to write about our lives now. I am working on a novel so we’ll see how that works out.
How did your friends and family react to your first book?
I think the main message, especially in the first book, is the kindness of strangers.
What are your thoughts on AllAuthor? Is this a website you see yourself using for some time, even in the future?
I enjoy using many of the aspects of AllAuthor and find the Tweet Scheduler particularly helpful.
