It’s time for another Friday Reads post and this week I’m talking to Clare Swatman about her latest novel, The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright. So grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s get chatting to Evelyn. 😊
Starting over can be hard to do…
So when mum of two Beth moves out of her beloved marital home and into an unloved and unkempt cottage, she can’t help but feel demoralised. Faced with months of DIY and dust, her children Jacob and Olivia aren’t impressed either. But when Beth finds a box of letters while she’s clearing out the children’s room, things start to look up.
The correspondence is decades old, between agony aunt Evelyn and those in need of solace. Intrigued as to why the letters have been kept safe all these years, Beth can’t resist reading them, and as the wisdom and kindness of Evelyn falls off the pages, so Beth starts to feel she has a friend and champion in this woman she has never met.
Good advice doesn’t age, and as life starts to look brighter, Beth begins to wonder if she could track down Evelyn and thank her for her help. But as Beth uncovers more about Evelyn’s story, it becomes clear that everything is not as it seems. And now Beth is determined to bring peace to Evelyn as she has to her.
A spell-binding, heart-warming story of friendship, love and being brave enough to be yourself.
Welcome to my blog Clare. I really enjoyed reading this book. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I wanted to be a writer of some sort – although actually I really wanted to be a dancer but I wasn’t good enough! I still harbour a hope that one day I will be famous enough to be invited onto Strictly – wouldn’t that be the dream?!
I started off my career as a magazine journalist, and for years that was exactly what I wanted to be doing. I loved it, interviewing people about their lives and writing all day. I never truly thought I would write a book. It felt like it was something other people did. But then one day I had an idea that REALLY wanted to be written, so I decided to give it a go. That book became my debut, Before You Go, and was sold all around the world and translated into 22 different languages – so it must have just been the right story at the right time! Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else for a living. It’s honestly a dream.
Has any author inspired you?
Most authors inspire me to be honest. Anyone who can sit down and write a novel from start to finish has my respect – it’s a tough gig! I love the fact that everyone works in a different way, that everyone writes totally differently, and that, best of all, authors are so supportive of each other. It’s important to help build people up. Selling books is a tough game, and everyone understands that and is thrilled for other people’s success.
But in terms of writing, I’d love to be Maggie O’Farrell or Kate Atkinson because I think they’re both geniuses and their writing is stunning.
Congratulations on your amazing success with your debut novel. Do you have a special place for writing?
No, I’ll write anywhere and everywhere, as long as I have my headphones to block out noise and I’m comfy! Although I do quite like working from bed. It’s just not good for my back/shoulders/productivity!
Are you a pantster or a plotter?
I’m mostly a plotter because the idea of starting to write without any idea of where I’m going is terrifying – although I do have a streak of the pantser in me too, because I like to change things as I go along, and unexpected things happen as I write!
It’s important to me to plot because, while I don’t like to be very technical with my writing, I need to know that I have a beginning, a middle and an end before I start. Sometimes I know in detail how I’m going to get from one place to the next, while other times I let the story take shape as I write – but I always get there in the end!
What are you writing at the moment?
I’m currently working on my very first thriller! I love writing the big emotional women’s fiction stories; delving into people’s minds and emotions is what I’ve always loved to write. But I also love to read thrillers, and last year I decided to have a go at writing one. It turned out ok, it seems, because I now have a three-book deal to run alongside my other books, with my first one coming out in November this year! I still have quite a bit of work to do on it though, so I need to work on tension and pace and get it absolutely right before I start planning my next Clare Swatman book. (I’ll be writing the thrillers as CL Swatman – do you think anyone will guess it’s me?!)
What are your hobbies?
Dancing, reading and drinking wine. Not necessarily all at the same time.
I think we share the same hobbies, Clare! 😊What advice would you give to other writers?
Believe in yourself, and don’t try to be anyone else. Just because you don’t write like someone you admire, does not mean you don’t write well. You’re you, and you just need to let your voice shine through. (I also need to take my own advice).
Great advice, Clare! Thanks so much for talking to us today. Wishing you lots of success with your book.
Meet Clare
Clare Swatman is the author of eight women’s fiction novels, published by Boldwood Books. Her latest, The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright, is a story about the universal power of love and friendships, and features a 1950s agony aunt. Before writing books, Clare spent 20 years writing for women’s magazines in the UK, and loves to write about real people and real emotions.
Clare’s first psychological thriller is due to be published later this year. She will be writing these under the cunning disguise of CL Swatman.
Clare lives in Hertfordshire in the UK with her husband and two boys. Even the cat is male, which means she’s destined to be outnumbered forever.
Contact Links
www.facebook/com/clareswatmanauthor
www.instagram.com/clareswatmanauthor
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/clare-swatman
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karen-King/e/B0034P6W7I
Website: https://karenkingauthor.com/
Karen King: Author 