In Skeletons, the heroine, Jen, came from a tiny family - the only child of only children whose father left when she was young. Growing up she resented her quiet oppressive home. When she met Jason she fell in love with his big artsy bohemian family as much as with him. His father Charles is much more of a father to her than her own was. When the book starts Jen and Jason have been happily married for 20 years. Their youngest daughter has just left for Uni. And then she sees her beloved father-in-law in the street with a much younger woman and it’s clear they are more than colleagues. Jen knows if she tells Jason it will blow the family apart. But can she keep it secret?
This is your fifth novel so can you give us a bit of insight into your others?
One reviewer dubbed my first book Getting Rid of Matthew ‘chick noir’ and another called it ‘anti chick lit’ both of which I loved. I write about messy relationships – between friends, rivals, married couples, siblings. I’m not really interested in boy/girl romances.
Please tell us about the character of Jen.
Jen is all about family – so long as it’s not the one she grew up in. At the start of the book her youngest daughter has just left for university and she is struggling to come to terms with the empty nest. She’s smart, loyal and stubborn. Fiercely protective of her family.
How good are you at keeping secrets?
Really good. If someone tells me something and asks me to keep it a secret I always do. I hate when people say 'So and so told me not to tell anyone this but ...'
Can you tell us a bit about your time as a TV producer?
I started out working as a script editor and storyliner. The first show I produced on my own (having been one of several producers on EastEnders) was This Life. That was an incredible experience and a hugely lucky break for me. The Executive Producer, Tony Garnett basically said to me that as the show was all about younger people he was going to step back and let me take the lead. I was pretty inexperienced at the time but knowing he was there if I needed him gave me the confidence to step up. I went on to make Teachers and 20 Things to Do Before You’re 30 amongst others
Why did you move from TV production to writing novels?
Writing novels was always my ambition. TV drama was a diversion. It allowed me to write bits and pieces and have a creative outlet and, for years I tried to convince myself that that was enough. Becoming a published novelist seemed like an impossible mountain to climb. So I kept writing prose in secret but it took me a long time to get up the courage to show anyone.
What is next for you?
I'm already writing my next book - it's about a woman who persuades her assistant to be a honey trap for someone she suspects is cheating. Obviously it all goes horribly wrong ....
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