Can you tell us something about your new novel, ‘If You Only Knew’?
It revolves around three main characters and the many secrets, fears and emotions they’re keeping from each other. More information can be found in the blurb!
It revolves around three main characters and the many secrets, fears and emotions they’re keeping from each other. More information can be found in the blurb!
Where did you find the inspiration for ‘If You Only Knew’? Is it in any way based on your own personal experiences?
Does it sound weird if I say I don’t know about where the inspiration, plot and characters come from? It probably does. Before I started writing fiction I used to read interviews with authors and they would say they had characters and plot ideas pop into their heads out of nowhere. I thought it was a bit strange back then but now that’s what happens to me! The initial idea for 'If You Only Knew' could have been sparked by watching something on TV about Derbyshire’s Peak District, or rock climbing, or trendy coffee shops – or all three! After that I knew I wanted the men in the book to be outdoor extreme sports instructors and the woman to be running her own business, in this case the coffee shop. As I worked on creating the biogs for the characters their stories started to unfold and their personalities, issues and fears developed from there.
Which character in the novel did you most enjoy writing about and why?
I would say it was probably the character of Matt, which surprises me a bit! I’ve never created a character like Matt before, he was a challenge, and I was amazed to find myself thinking how much I was enjoying writing his scenes. He’s a bit of a bad boy and the kind of character I would really dislike if I was reading him in somebody else’s book. I remember a book reviewer saying she hated Matt with a passion when she started the book but she was shocked to find that, as his story unfolded, by the end of the novel she had completely changed her opinion of him.
Why did you decide to use this particular setting for the novel?
I enjoy setting my books in some of my favourite locations in the UK and have written novels set in the Scottish Highlands, North Yorkshire and now, in 'If You Only Knew', the Peak District of Derbyshire. I live only one hour’s drive away from Derbyshire and have visited the area a lot of times over the years. I’m quite an outdoorsy person myself so I loved the idea of all the hiking, mountain biking, climbing and paragliding which goes on in the Peak District and wanted to incorporate that into the novel. I confess though, whilst I’m a keen hiker, I wasn’t tempted to try climbing or paragliding in the name of research!
The fictitious village in 'If You Only Knew' was inspired by the real village of Castleton in the Peaks. I was fascinated by the area around Castleton with all the caves and hills, it’s a real outdoor and extreme sports mecca. I recently discovered the joys of Pinterest and had fun setting up a mood board for 'If You Only Knew' which contains pictures of the village, the scenery, how Faith’s coffee shop might look and photos of the famous people who visually inspired the characters of Zane, Faith and Matt. The 'If You Only Knew' Pinterest board can be viewed by clicking here.
Can you perhaps tell us something about your future plans as an author? Are you already working on a next novel?
I have 4 ‘work in progress’ novels but I really need to pick one and just focus on that otherwise I’ll never get my next book written! I think the book I’ll aim to complete next is the one about the down side of dating a famous actor.
Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Do not give up. I gave up on writing several times when I got disillusioned and it is only because my husband nagged me to start sending the books I’d written out to publishers back in 2012 that my books have got to see the light of day. I sent one book to a publisher in America and another to a UK publisher and told myself to forget about them whilst mentally preparing myself for the rejection emails. Within one month the American publisher came back and said they loved the book and offered me a contract. I couldn’t believe it, I was stunned. I cried. I danced around the room. One week later an email arrived from the UK publisher about the other book and they offered me a contract too. Cue more crying and dancing around the room! If my husband hadn’t coaxed me into sending my writing to publishers then I’d never have got to feel so thrilled and privileged at having my books published.
What is the last book you read that you’d like to recommend to others?
Martina Reilly’s 'Even Better Than The Real Thing'. I loved this book and would put it in my top three books I’ve ever read. It’s wonderfully written and has an unusual plot involving forged art which is immensely intriguing. As well as the twists and turns on the art forgery mystery side of things in the book there’s a page turner of a will-they-won’t-they between the two main characters. It’s a touching, surprising, and at times humorous romantic mystery suspense and a gripping read.
And last but not least, if you had to describe ‘If You Only Knew’ in just three words, which words would you pick?
I would say the book is about three things – love, confusion, trust.
Thanks so much, Zanna!
Find out more about Zanna at:
Blog: www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZannaMacKenzie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zanna.mackenzie
Thanks so much, Zanna!
Find out more about Zanna at:
Blog: www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZannaMacKenzie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/zanna.mackenzie
