Recently, I’ve been delighted to be invited to speak and read from my books and answer questions. One question that comes up quite regularly is, “Where I get the inspiration for my stories, is it a location, or a character?”

I know some people hear (or see) a character and how they behave in the world, but for me it is a situation, a challenge or conflict and I start thinking, “what if?”

My debut novel, Warm Pearls and Paper Cranes was prompted because one of my aunts instructed that she be buried with her housemate and friend rather than in the family plot. They weren’t lesbians, but I thought what if? What if two women had hidden their relationship from everyone for years, what would happen if they were put into different care homes? What if they were estranged from their relatives because they hadn’t been honest about who they were?

This book is also close to my heart as I became more distant from my aunt as she was very religious and didn’t approve of my lifestyle, and had always planned to reconnect when I had more time. So, I guess it was a way of trying to seek resolution, or absolution, for not getting to see her before she died. At least in Warm Pearls there is a happy ending and Maud is reconciled to her niece, Hannah.

Of Light and Love was inspired by an artist friend who was losing her eyesight and couldn’t paint any more. How gutting it must be to no longer do what you had devoted your life to, what gave you your sense of purpose and identity. What if you couldn’t paint anymore? Because the novel was a romance it seemed appropriate Caro had lost her muse. And because everyone loves a grumpy and sunshine, she needed a counterpoint to her grumpiness in the form of Laura. Of course, Laura also has a depth to her and her sunshine is often an act to cover up her hurt.

My newest release, Green for Love is an enemies-to-lovers story featuring an eco-warrior versus an oil executive. They meet in a high-end women’s only club and really click emotionally. Then they discover who the other is, and it all goes wrong with a clash of their different values and approach to life.

What was the inspiration? I was dating a woman and it seemed to be going well. We’d got to the third date and, being curious, I asked if she thought that her eco activism was effective, as I was genuinely interested. It was clearly the wrong thing to say. I had intended it as a conversation opener, not the fizzling end of what could be. Needless to say, we didn’t see each other again.

They say you should weave your life disappointments into your stories, so that became the nub of the conflict. Maybe there was a hangover though, as it took time and a rethink of one of the characters, because I didn’t like her in the first draft. Some authors can write someone they don’t like. I can’t.

It took a rewrite, after discussions with my editor, to really get under Lia’s skin, to hear her voice and understand where she was coming from, to really engage with her softer side. I think the story is so much stronger because of that, and certainly the early reviews bear that out. It’s available now on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited so you can check it out.

Has a particular incident spurred you to write, or wonder, “what if?”