Can you describe Him Downstairs in a tweet (140 characters or less)?
Him Downstairs is a relatable tale of the hilarity, heartbreak and healing of a woman trying to navigate life and love in the 21st century.
What are you currently reading?
I usually have a few books on the go! In paperback, I’m reading James Joyce’s Dubliners. It’s melancholy and beautiful, so to cheer me up in between the short stories, I switch to Kindle and read more of Footloose & Fearless @ Fifty+: a solo woman’s journey through the Americas by Denise O’Leary.
Do you experience writers block? Any tips on overcoming it?
Whenever I experience writers block, it’s usually because of too much plotting and planning. I find stepping away from the laptop and going for a walk helps. I also try to think about what a character might do next on a moment by moment basis, instead of trying to decide where they end up and filling in how they get there.
Where do you complete most of your writing? Any certain time of day that you prefer?
I used to produce audiobooks from my home studio, which is fun, but lonely work and so I really like going out and having the buzz of other people around me to write. Coffee shops and the library are great – especially the gorgeous Stephen A. Schwarzman library in New York. The reading rooms are like a Harry Potter set! I like writing at all times of the day, just so long as my stomach isn’t growling!
Are you currently working on another novel?
I’m currently working on the audiobook of Him Downstairs and wondering why on earth I made one of the characters Welsh! Once I’ve tackled that, I’ll get cracking on the next novel, which is swirling around my head!
ABOUT HIM DOWNSTAIRS
How do you get over someone who lives under you?
Life for Lucy Jenkins is going OK … ish. Yes, she’s thirty-three, single, and has had to work as a waitress and children’s party entertainer since her social worker salary suffered from budget cuts, but she stays positive and manages to pay the mortgage on her flat. Her home is her sanctuary – until Tom moves in downstairs. Lucy and Tom quickly fall in love and into a serious relationship, which is complicated by Tom’s recent separation from his wife, who he has two young sons with.
Lucy is heartbroken when Tom breaks up with her, saying that something has to give in his busy life. Encouraged/coerced/badgered by her friends into getting ‘back on that horse’, Lucy finds herself at a tacky Singles Night; dating Danny, a Justin Timberlake impersonator; and attempting a rendezvous with her ‘special friend’. Lucy’s quest to move on from Tom would be a whole lot easier if she didn’t have to hear everything he does.
After all, how on earth do you get over someone when you can hear them peeing?
