A Secret Garden

About Katie Fforde

Katie Fforde lives in the beautiful Cotswold countryside with her family, and is a true country girl at heart. Each of her books explores a different profession or background and her research has helped her bring these to life. She’s been a porter in an auction house, tried her hand at pottery, refurbished furniture, delved behind the scenes of a dating website, and she's even been on a Ray Mears survival course. She loves being a writer; to her there isn’t a more satisfying and pleasing thing to do. She particularly enjoys writing love stories. She believes falling in love is the best thing in the world, and she wants all her characters to experience it, and her readers to share their stories.

Click here to read an exclusive interview with Katie Fforde by Mary Hogarth.

Fellow novelist SOPHIE KING on KATIE FFORDE
I met Katie through the Romantic Novelists Association, whether you're a published novelist or not, you can still join and get some great tips. Katie is as much fun as her heroines who make me feel that nothing is impossible in life even when you're negotiating unexpected corners. One of my all time favourites is Wild Designs.

Author photo © David O’Driscoll

Below is a Q&A with this author

1.    Did you always want to become an author?
No, I didn’t know I wanted to be an author until my late twenties. Before that I ran a narrowboat hotel business with my husband and then had babies, but I would have liked to be a counsellor if I wasn’t a writer.
2.    Do you miss anything from your life before?
I had a very good life before I became an author, with a lovely husband, children and house. But when I started writing I realised what I had been missing. I think it’s to do with having an overactive imagination and wanting to communicate (which can be a posh word for chat!).
3.    What’s the best thing about being an author?
The best thing is getting to try out lots of jobs I could never have had in real life through my characters. It’s also lovely to hear from people who have enjoyed my books – it can give me the impression that I’m doing something worthwhile, even though what I write is for entertainment.
4.    How do you start writing a new novel?
I start with a theme. I have several subjects I long to explore bubbling around at any one time and when one comes to the top I start to think about my characters. Then comes the plot. I don’t usually know at the beginning what the ending will be – I have to wait and find out! Although I know that it will be happy.
5.    What are the essentials of creating a good romance?
I think a good hero is absolutely key, and then a heroine who the reader can recognise – not too perfect, but likeable. Plot is very important, so then it’s a case of creating a few really romantic scenes. Not necessarily hearts-and-flowers romantic but unexpected romance in surprising places.
6.    Why is research important?
It’s hard enough to write a book as it is, let alone without knowing about your theme – you need to know your stuff. That said, some things can be impossible to research, like the judging at the Chelsea Flower Show, or when the Queen visits! I do quite a lot of research personally. I remember a writer friend saying to me, ‘But you write contemporaries, you don’t need to do research’, but that is very far from the truth. My early books were set around my own life – working in a cafe and being a cleaning lady were things I had actually done. However, eventually I ran out of life experience and had to do research. I love finding out fascinating things about subjects that interest me.
7.    Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you try and relieve this?
Writers block happens often in a small way. A change of scene helps to relieve it for me. This might involve shopping, a drive in the car (scenery often gets my creative juices going) or just being with friends. Luckily it never lasts for long with me and is often caused by being a bit tired.