When I wrote this book I wanted to show how the elderly still live vibrant lives that matter and don’t fit the negative stereotypes. I think it’s easy to forget this sometimes, as wrinkles or health problems associated with ageing can hide the still vital personality inside – especially in a modern society that is so obsessed with a youthful body image. I’m continually inspired by the older generation.

My much missed mother, for example, followed many hobbies during her life – reading, drawing, pottery – and continued such pursuits in her retirement, along with volunteering. My octogenarian father has recently embraced the online world and now messages and sends Gifs, and Skypes as well as anyone. And his mother, right into her late eighties, walked around in high heels despite problems with her hip, and wore flamboyant clothes and red lipstick, enjoying an enduring interest in fashion.

More than ever retirement isn’t about fading into the shadows, many pensioners pursue vital, fulfilling lives, continuing to learn new skills, mixing with friends, enjoying hobbies, helping their families. Like everyone else, they still have dreams. Still fall in love. Still enjoy sex. And this shouldn’t be a surprise.

I truly believe the words of George Bernard Shaw:

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Several famous older people hugely inspire me. David Attenborough who is in his 90s still follow his passion for the natural world and fighting climate change, demonstrating that it’s never too old to make a difference.

And I’ve long admired Joan Collins’ attitude about ageing:

“Growing old is something you do if you’re lucky”

I’m in my fifties now and sure, it’s a shock sometimes to put my glasses on and really *see* my face in the mirror, wrinkles and all. But in a way I’m fond of the flaws – each one tells a story. For example due to getting shingles during lockdown I know have trail of pock marks down my forehead – and in the future I’ll look at them and they will remind me of the tough times in 2020 and how we all got through.

The pay off of time passing is – hopefully – a little wisdom and contentment. I’m much happier than I was thirty years ago and now have a boxful of tools to live by – mindfulness, gratitude, kindness – that I’ve gained through tough life experience. Challenging as it has been, I wouldn’t swap that any day with the vigour of youth.

I really feel I’m getting to *know* who I am now and because of that I care a little less what people think of me – as long as my conscience is happy, so am I. This has been a huge gift and I’m excited for what else I will discover if I’m lucky enough to see future big birthdays go by.

It was a joy to create the characters living in Willow Court – none of whom care very much for other people’s opinions!

Alf the conspiracy theorist

Flamboyant actress Pan, who’s a little confused.

Down-to-earth avid reader Alice who looks out for everyone.

Smart, uptight, business-minded Glenda.

Movie buff and family-orientated Betty, suffering from dementia

Former fireman Fred, a jolly good sort.

I’m thrilled that so many readers have loved this aspect of The Winter We Met.

The carers play an important part in the story too. Before lockdown I feel as if care homes were only in the papers if there was a case of abuse or neglect. But this pandemic has shown has just how truly caring the majority are, real homes from home, run by staff who’ve gone above and beyond during this difficult time.

And that’s why The Winter We Met is dedicated to those superstars

However, like everything else in your work, animals must have a function if they are to appear and here are some of the reasons I find them useful:

An animal is another tool in your writing work box to drive plot and demonstrate character. Take Toto in the Wizard of Oz. Trying to catch him is the reason Dorothy doesn’t hide in the cellar and gets swept away by the cyclone. He also tells the reader, early on, that Dorothy is a loyal, brave and loving person – her thoughts were with saving her dog, not her personal safety.

In The Summer Island Swap it is a monkey, Chatty, that takes centre stage in the fictional tropical world of Seagrass Island. Conservation leader Rick comes across as surly and abrupt yet shows a deep degree of tenderness with this small animal that he rescued. This gives the main character – and the reader – clues, from the off, that there is a softer story behind the offhand exterior of the male protagonist.

So the use of animals is an effective way of showing the grey areas of a character that, initially, might simply seem black or white. And they can also demonstrate a change in character – the smart, executive female protagonist of my summer story goes on an emotional journey and aspects of her are different by the final chapter – her rough and tumble friendship with Chatty the monkey has contributed towards that.

Animals can also make stories relatable and feel like home. Pets feature heavily in contemporary romances that write about modern people’s lives, where they walk dogs or talk to their cats. People own pets for all sorts of reasons – health, companionship, status – and including them offers additional ways of reflecting your readers’ lives on the pages.

Take my 2018 romance novel, One Summer In Rome. It features a blind Italian Protagonist, Dante, and his guide dog, Oro, (Italian for Gold). Their relationship is a functional one. Yet it’s also very much a partnership, built out of a  mutual respect and love. The moving and affectionate moments between characters and their furry friends add a heartwarming, relatable glow to stories for those readers who own a pet or have fond memories of a past one.

Also animals are, in general, hugely appealing, so don’t underestimate the the ah factor. As the creator of the web, Tim Berners-Lee, said, talking about how he imagined the internet would develop over time, “I never expected all these cats.” As a writer I have to admit procrastination due to watching animal rescue stories online, or videos of them performing tricks!

Of course animals feature predominantly in children’s literature and some adult fiction. I devoured Enid Blyton’s stories as a child and especially loved Brer Rabbit. When I got older favourites were the Stonor Eagles and Duncton Wood and the animal communities within these stories, with their leaders and followers, are effective at showing readers how a society functions. Plus a wide cast, with different species, subconsciously teaches children about the differences between people and, perhaps, how we should all get on, even though we might look nothing like each other. And they are also instrumental is helping children take the first tentative steps to understanding and accepting death. Author Tom Moorhouse has written an excellent piece about why animals are important in children’s fiction and you can read that .

When my son came back from his rainforest volunteering trip I immediately wanted to write a story about animals that needed rescuing and the people who did that. From the feedback I’ve had so far, readers have fallen in love with monkey Chatty and I’m thrilled with that. Especially for contemporary romances, animal characters are an extra way of pulling on your readers’ heartstrings, in this way making them become even more invested in the story and driven to keep turning those pages.