I’m delighted to welcome bestselling author Catherine Cooper onto my blog today. Catherine is going to talk to us about her writing journey and her latest book, The Lake, which was published yesterday. So grab yourself a cuppa, get cosy and let’s get talking to Catherine.

Short bio

Catherine Cooper is a Sunday Times bestselling author of six destination thrillers published by Harper Collins. She lives in the south of France with her family. For more info visit www.catherinecooperauthor.com or you can find her on Instagram @catherinecooperauthor

Welcome to my blog, Catherine. Congratulations on the publication of The Lake, Can you tell us about your writing journey?

I have always written stories, since I was a very young child. I was a big fan of the Desmond the Dinosaur books, and there was an invitation in the back for readers to send the author Althea their own Desmond stories which I did – and was absolutely thrilled to get a reply thanking me.

My first short story was published in Just Seventeen Magazine (now defunct, but very popular at the time) in the early 1990s when I was at university. It was the first I’d ever submitted, so I thought maybe having fiction published would always be that simple – it didn’t turn out that way!

I signed with my first agent with a well-known agency for a book which was then called chick-lit but I guess now would be women’s fiction – I’d literally just returned from hospital after giving birth to my first son in 2002 so it is very easy to remember when it was. She was extremely enthusiastic about the book and convinced she could sell it easily. Sadly it turned out she was wrong.

I had less time to write when the children were young but got back into it around 2009 when we moved to France, the children were at school and I wrote a YA novel. By now my first agent had retired and I was signed by Gaia Banks at Sheil Land, who I am still with today.

We had a lot of positive feedback, but ultimately no one took it. It was the same with the next two or three. In 2013 I won HotKey’s Christmas novella competition, so an e-book was published and I received an advance, so that was really exciting, but sales weren’t great.

I was still writing off and on, and as always, reading a lot of thrillers. I am a keen skier and had an idea for a thriller set in ski resort, because at the time I’d never read one, and thought the setting was ideal for that kind of book. But I clearly wasn’t the only one thinking this as when we were submitting in 2019 my agent mentioned a book called Shiver by Allie Reynolds which had recently gone to auction, and I was worried this meant I had missed the boat. My agent saw it a different way – she said it meant that there were several editors who had missed out on this ski-resort set book, and would be keen.

The Chalet was pre-empted by Phoebe Morgan at Harper Collins just four days after submission. It was published during the first covid lockdown in Nov 2020 and became a top five Sunday Times bestseller. It’s now sold more than 100,000 copies in the UK.

Since then I have published five more books with Harper Collins and they have been translated into several languages. They are all destination thrillers set in luxury places, often inspired by the places I am lucky enough to visit in my other job as a travel writer. The Lake is set in an allegedly haunted Scottish Castle during its inaugural ghost hunting weekend. It is a Karin Slaughter ‘Killer Reads’ pick and available in Asda, bookshops and online from November 6.

What a fascinating writing journey, Catherine. I hope your new book flies.

Still waters hide dark secrets …

A remote Scottish lake

The guests arriving at Creaglie Castle are expecting discreet luxury, panoramic views, and perhaps a glimpse of one of its infamous ghosts.

No means of escape

When a violent storm severs all contact with the mainland, it’s not the spirits they need to fear…

Trust no one

As the past resurfaces and trust vanishes, it’s clear that not everyone will be leaving Creaglie Castle alive.

Will The Lake give up its secrets, before somebody else dies?

Buy link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lake-must-read-psychological-suspense-fiction/dp/000867258X

More of Catherine’s books:

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Catherine-Cooper/author/B00608JPOI