You mentioned that a robin was your initial inspiration for this delightful book, how did the book evolve from the robin to the rest of the story? I once read a BBC news story about some crows that brought tiny gifts to a mother and daughter that used to feed them regularly in their garden.
The Promise of Summer has so many twists and turns, what was the inspiration behind it? This is always something I puzzle over and wish I had a more articulate answer! Once I have my main character the plot usually builds from there
I've always been fascinated by islands - I love the sea so the idea of being surrounded by water appeals, as does the idea of a community living away from the mainland. I grew up in the South West but have a certain affinity with Scotland; my husband has Scottish heritage and some of our most enjoyable trips together have been in Scotland.
Most of my books come about from three elements coming together: the central idea, the characters and a location. The idea for a woman – Rose – who was looking for her bone marrow donor was actually suggested by my doctor daughter who used to work at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
We absolutely loved The River Between Us, we were completely hooked after we heard you read the first chapter. What was your inspiration behind the book?
We loved the combination of recipes and short stories in A Day at the Beach Hut, it was like going on a wonderful escape. Do you have plans to combine the two again in the future? Thank you so much - I’m so pleased you enjoyed it.
You have written so many wonderful books, do you have a particular favourite, or favourites and why?To be honest, the last book I’ve written is usually my favourite (a) because I’m so relieved I finished it and (b) because I’m still very close to the characters and the situations they’ve found themselves in. But some characters and locations stay with me...
The Never Ending Summer has such wonderful depth and rich detail, how long did it take you to research and write this book? Do you have any plans to write a sequel? There was a lot of research involved. I usually take my time with research as I want to get details feeling authentic. I think...
Your writing about the 1960’s in A Wedding in the Country was so authentic, how did you do your research? Although I wasn’t a teenager about town in the early 60’s I do remember quite a lot about my early days. I checked the internet constantly, too.
I love Liz Fenwick’s new book One Cornish Summer and I had the wonderful opportunity to interview her about her love of Cornwall and how she gets inspiration for her novels. We love that you have chosen Cornwall as the location for many of your novels, what do you enjoy most about living there? Tough question...