Today I’m joining the blog tour for Poppy’s Christmas Wishes. I’m sharing my Q&A with the author with thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on the blog tour and to Annette Hannah for answering my questions!

Have you always wanted to write?

Yes, ever since I can remember I’ve always wanted to write. When I was little, I used to write little comic books which I loved. I kept my ambition a secret though so many people were shocked when my first book came out.

What were your previous jobs? Have they helped you with your writing process?

I’ve worked in accounting and marketing and before that as a waitress and a barmaid. I think marketing really helped with writing as I’d have to write press releases etc and that was my first taste of seeing something I’d written in public view, as in a newspaper. The other jobs have also helped by meeting different people and having different experiences that I can draw on when needed in my writing.

What was your inspiration for Poppy’s Christmas Wishes?

About ten years ago I was out on a Christmas night out in a fancy place and my friend and I heard a raucous laugh which we found so contagious. At the end of the night there were no taxis and the owner of the laugh was a lovely man who was waiting with us. We got talking and he told us that the reason he had a goatee was because he was playing a genie in an amdram show. I immediately thought what a brilliant idea that would be for a novel. It took another five years for me to pluck up the courage to write it and a further five for it to get published but I hope it was worth the wait.

How do you construct your characters? Do they have traits of people you know?

I know it sounds strange but the characters seem to come to me fully formed and they know their own minds, for instance in this book I introduced Cassie to play someone’s love interest but when she arrived she became the other characters best friend instead and I had to introduce another love interest. I’m sure some of them do have traits of people I know though. 

What does your writing process look like? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I usually get struck with the premise, for instance my first book was about a Signal Box that gets converted, then I usually get the title and then I usually know what’s going to happen at the end. The final scene in this book was playing out like a film in my head from the very beginning so I knew I had to work towards that and I jus let the characters take me on their journey. So I would say I’m definitely a pantser.

How did you research? Did you enjoy it?

I didn’t really need to do that much research for this book but when they went to New York I drew on my own experiences of what it felt like to be there. 

Who are your favourite writers? Are you influenced by them?

There are so many writers whom I love and I’m happy to say that I’m friends with most of them now through my time as a blogger. They include Jackie Collins, Milly Johnson, Dorothy Koomson, Heidi Swain, Carol Wyer, Miranda Dickinson, Kim Nash, Christie Barlow. I could go on forever.

If you could invite three people, living or dead, to dinner, who would they be and why?

Jackie Collins because when I met her, she was so lovely and seemed genuinely interested in me and wished me good luck with my writing. I would have loved to have spent more time with her. Milly Johnson because she has the kindest heart and has a wicked sense of humour, she’s very entertaining and my lovely mum who sadly died eleven years ago as she loved a laugh and we’d have a great night together drinking cocktails, I still think of her every day and always will.

Who would you least like to be stuck in a lift with and why?

The manager who used to twang my bra straps in the workplace for obvious reasons. This happens to Poppy in the book and she deals with it spectacularly. 

Who would play the main character/s in a film version of Poppy’s Christmas Wishes? 

Well, my daughter said that she wants to be in the film of my books so she would be Poppy and I think Jodie Comer would make a fantastic Layla and gorgeous Gabe would be played by the delectable Rege-Jean Page.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love to read, blog about books and I’m also the Press Officer for the Romantic Novelists’ Association which keeps me extremely busy.

What is next for you?

I have another book coming out in March 2023 and I’ve just finished another one partly set in California which I need to get stuck into editing

Favourites:

Book? Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews and Chances by Jackie Collins

Film? Walking on Sunshine

Band/Singer? Maroon 5

TV show? Gilmore Girls

Colour? Pinky purple

Place? Spain

Biscuit? Chocolate Hobnob

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Poppy’s Christmas Wishes is available from Amazon.

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