Description

The Boutique was born out of a conversation with Josh, who styles women for a living. I was chatting about my longstanding idea for a book, a collection of short stories, with a slimming club as the central hub connecting the personalities. Josh suggested a fashion shop, instead.I was hooked, given the catwalk calls to me far more than weekly weigh-ins. I suspect I’m not alone in this matter. For years I had thought about writing a book based on likeable, often complex individuals, each with their own compelling story to share. With my fictional fashion shop, The Boutique, I could now take readers on their journey, with this glamorous boudoir, the starting point.

So, when you initially tune into a chapter you may be joining a light-hearted conversation about clothes or, the dialogue will pique your interest because there’s something more sinister or complicated afoot. I wanted to merge the light with the dark and in doing so build storylines that were gripping, with the final twist in every tale, unpredictable.

My first task, however, was to work on the nine personalities. The advice given to me from Eve Richings, a journalist and writer I respect, was at the front of my mind: ‘make sure you create characters that your readers care about.’ This resonated with me because when we’re rooting for someone we become invested in their story don’t we? We form a close connection, and we want them to succeed.

So, I took my inspiration from many of the special folk that have touched my life over more years than I care to remember. I then added my vivid imagination into the mix and spent several months creating these nine people. During this time, I really got to know them. Finally, I was happy to introduce them to their world.

Friends asked why I wanted to write about hard hitting themes such as abusive relationships, homophobia, bullying, compulsive behaviour, and addiction. For many of us, our lives have been affected to a greater or lesser degree by one, or more of these. And for me, fiction works well when intertwined with facts. If the author gets the balance right with real-life subjects, the narrative can be intriguing and dare I say, uplifting.

I hope you find each one of these special humans relatable and inspiring and when you’ve left one, you can’t wait to meet the next.

So, please get in touch and tell me what you think about The Boutique and who you identify with.

You can find me on Facebook and Instagram.