Where have you spent most of your childhood?
I was born in Scotland and spent the first six years of my life in Edinburgh. I loved growing up in Scotland. I thought it was a magical place, like something out of a Dr Zeus book with all the pink trees. Then I moved down to the south coast of England where I went to the beach all the time.
Why do you love books? What is your favorite book?
I'm not really sure how to answer this one... I love everything about books, from the smell of the pages to the worlds the words can create. My favourite book is probably North and South by Elizabeth Gaskel. I love the way it shows how easy it is to misunderstand people. There's a scene where the main male character, Mr Thornton offers his hand to the main heroine for her to shake. He comes from the North of England where at that time everyone had to work hard and Margaret comes from the South where people with enough money had quite a quiet and peaceful life. When Margaret doesn't accept his hand, he thinks she's snubbing him when in reality she's just shocked that a man would offer his hand to her. I find it fascinating how much we can misunderstand one another and how tiny misunderstandings can grow into something much worse.
How has Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen influenced your life?
I love all of Austen's books, although Persuasion is definitely my favourite. More misunderstandings... Pride and Prejudice is probably my second favourite. I love how direct and confident Elizabeth Bennet is. I love how she stands up to Mr Darcy regardless of the difference in their social level. As a woman, I can only imagine the bravery that took in an age where gender equality wasn't a thing. Elizabeth has plenty of characteristics that I would like to be able to attribute to myself. Even if she's a fictional character, she's definitely a role model.
What are the qualities of Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy that make him the perfect man?
I love the way Darcy quietly protects the people he loves. His sister and Elizabeth for example. He doesn't always get it right, like when he tries to save his friend from a bad marriage, but he endeavors to put that right when he realises his mistake.
What’s the most absurd question someone has asked you about England, or life in England?
"Is it true you all like tea?" and then the best one "What does tea even mean?" because here in the UK when we talk about tea, we could be talking about the drink or we might be talking about our evening meal. I guess we just enjoy keeping people confused and on their toes... But as much as I'm sure there's at least a couple of Brits who don't like to drink tea, it's true to say the majority of us do.
While writing the Spell Library series, did you plan out the series or did it just evolve?
So the Spell Library series is a bit of a bizarre one. It's a multi-author series and was always intended that way. There's twelve authors involved and we've all written a standalone book within the Silver Springs Universe. The authors all work together to ensure that characters and locations are consistent throughout the series. It was perhaps the most fun I've had writing so far. I can't wait for series three!
Who inspired the character of Lexie O'Neill in "First Snow"?
I'm not really sure there was a specific person that inspired Lexie. I wanted to write about first love and second chances. Lexie is a single mum who works as a doctor. She's confident and compassionate.
What sparked the idea for the first book, "His, His or His?" in the Lust & Lyrics series?
I absolutely love stories that swap things around, like Shakespeare's Twelfth Night where Olivia pretends to be her twin brother to make money after surviving a shipwreck. I wanted to write something similar. When Clover's twin brother Creed has a car accident, Clover's parents insist that she takes his place on stage with his band.
As a writer, what do you do when you have numerous book ideas at once?
I write the ideas down, get a cover sorted for them and add them to my TBR list. It sort of clears my head so I can focus on one idea.
Which one do you prefer: writing a series or a standalone novel? Why?
I prefer writing in series. I hate saying goodbye to characters.
As a bestselling author, what is something you wish every first-time author should know?
It's okay not to have the answers. When you're first starting out there are so many things to do and most of it has very little to do with actually writing a book. The other stuff, marketing and social media and brand creation can be overwhelming, so I would say don't forget why you're doing all that hard work. When you start out there's a lot of work to do but all that hard work will pay off, making it possible for more people to read and love your books.
Which one would you recommend for a first-time readout of all your work?
I guess it really depends on what you like to read most. A finished series like the Lust & Lyrics series is probably a good option or one of the Hanleigh's London books.
Have you finished reading "Juniper"? What did you like the most about the book?
Juniper is brilliant. It's so ridiculously funny. I just couldn't stop laughing as I read it. I'd definitely recommend it.
What are you currently working on?
I'm working on a book called Place Your Bet. It's the sequel to Flip A Coin and is a mafia romance. It's just beginning to write it but I'm super excited about it.
Who or what was it that first introduced you to AllAuthor? What are your thoughts and opinions on it so far?
I'm not completely sure when I first found AllAuthor. I'd had an account for a while but didn't actually use it to its full potential. It was only recently that I realised just how much was possible with the site. I absolutely love it. My book Lupine was in the cover competition in August which was so fun! My readers worked so hard and we got so close to hitting the top three.
