Sarah Carroll’s debut novel, The Girl In Between, publishes today. This is a story about a young homeless girl, who shelters in an abandoned mill in the heart of Dublin with her mother. For the girl it’s her Castle - a home of her own like no other, and a place of safety. But as her mother spins out of control, the girl finds herself seeking friendship in the ghosts of the mill – and questioning who is really there.
Sarah Carroll
Here are ten things Sarah would like you to know about her.
Actually, the first thing is, I don't want readers to know too much about me! I'm delighted to talk about my work, or social issues, but I’m not too keen on talking about myself. I've no idea why anyone would want to be famous! I’m not a fan of reality TV, and I even try to stay away from social media. That said, here are a few things…
I didn't always want to be a writer. I only began thinking about it seven or eight years ago. I had a story that wouldn't go away, so I decided to write it down. Then I realised I liked writing and started taking courses. Once I was financially stable, I gave up working full time and wrote for three years before landing a publishing deal.
I don't know if I will always be a writer. I love it and it’s the best job I could have. But I hate security, in the sense that I hate knowing what comes next year and the year after that. So I'll just go one book at a time.
The Girl in Between is not technically my first novel, it was my second. Before I began writing, I used to be amazed that an author's debut novel could be so good. And, in fairness, I was convinced while writing it that my own first novel was very good. It wasn't. I had spent five years on it and it really is not a very good novel. But I learnt a lot. So when I sat down to write The Girl in Between, I had a much better idea of what I was doing. So much so that the first draft took only five weeks (but the whole edit took almost a year). Now I’ve just finished my third and have a few other novels in various states of completion.
I'm taking a vow not to read bad reviews because I don't do well with criticism. I take it to heart too much. But unfortunately, knowing me, I'll break that rule a thousand times.
I love geology. I have a degree in it and, although I only worked briefly as a geophysicist, I still adore the subject. Every new place I go, my head is stuck into the rocks. If I ever get rich, I'm treating myself to a tour of the top ten volcanoes of the world.
I love to travel. I've spent a lot of my post-university years abroad. My longest stint was in Tanzania for five years, where I established and managed a hostel.
I can speak Swahili.
I love skiing and wish I lived in a country with snow…
10. … but as I live in one with rain, I make do with white water kayaking.
