- My debut novel, The Daughter's Secret, tells the story of the aftermath of a scandalous relationship between a pupil and a teacher. People often ask me whether it is autobiographical and I'm very pleased to say it isn't. I believe teachers have a duty of care to their students and should never cross that line.
- The main character in The Daughter's Secret is Rosalind, the mother of the pupil. She has a vivid imagination and a tendency to worry and these are traits we share.
- I have wanted to write a novel for as long as I can remember but for many years I let fear and a lack of confidence hold me back. If you dream of writing I urge you get started today. What do you have to lose?
- I juggle writing fiction with working in a busy public relations agency. This has meant a lot of early morning and late nights but seeing my novel in print had made it all worthwhile. Coffee helps!
- I have travelled all over the world but I like to set my stories closer to home. At the moment I'm writing a novel set in the area around the Cotswolds town where I grew up. I want readers to come with me to discover the dark secrets lurking behind the doors of those chocolate box cottages…
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is one of my favourite books. It's a real page-turner with a stunning Cornish setting and lashings of romance and betrayal.
- I do most of my writing on the computer but I carry a notebook and pen all the time and scribble things down as they occur to me. Good ideas always seem to arrive at the oddest moments.
- I'm a huge admirer of all the Brontë sisters and especially Anne. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is often overlooked but I think it's the best of the bunch. If it were published today I think it would be compared to Gone Girl and whizz straight to the top of the book charts.
- I worked in a library as a teenager and saw first-hand how important they are to communities. The number of libraries facing closure today due to cuts is deeply worrying.
- I love television crime dramas and try to convince myself that watching them counts as research. It does, doesn't it?
The Daughter's Secret by Eva Holland is published in paperback by Orion, http://bit.ly/EvaHolland
The Daughter's Secret