INTERVIEW
Please provide the background inspiration for The Lost Diamond.
Hi Cindy! Thanks for inviting me onto your blog once again. The inspiration for The Lost Diamond was a snippet I cut out of a newspaper many years ago. It was about an item from a plane crash in the Alps decades earlier, that had resurfaced low down on a glacier. The item was a watch, inscribed on the back with its owner’s name, and the finder managed to track down the family and return the watch. You can imagine my excitement reading that article – it has “dual timeline novel” written all over it! The real plane that crashed was an Air India plane so that was what set me off down the Indian history route.
How long did it take you to write The Lost Diamond and were there any challenges you faced? If so, how did you overcome them?
It took me about the same length of time as usual – that is about a year on and off. The main challenge with this one was researching the history of Indian independence – it wasn’t something I knew much about. But I love the research phase, so I bought several books, read them, jotted notes in my notebook and gradually the historical part of the story took shape.
The Lost Diamond begins with a powerful Prologue. What effective literary elements did you use to pull the reader in?
Oh I do love writing a prologue! I used present tense for this one (which I rarely use) to try to make it feel more immediate. Also, it begins by using an omniscient viewpoint before honing in on Wilfred’s viewpoint. I liken this to a film prologue which would start with a shot of the plane in the storm and gradually zoom in to the interior of the plane and then Wilfred, sitting there clutching his precious briefcase...
Tell us about the two cultures in the novel that cause a personal conflict within the characters’ lives and why? (Particularly seen in Celia and Wilfred’s past timeline.)
The days of the Raj in India have always fascinated me, and I’ve enjoyed reading novels (e.g. A Passage to India by E.M. Forster) set during this time. As the early 20th century progressed there were increasing calls for India to be independent. For the British, some of whom had lived in India most of their lives it was obviously a wrench to leave, and this was something I wanted to explore with the novel – that sense of which country do you belong to?
The novel addresses both the belief and scepticism that surrounds curses. How does it affect Lisa and Ben’s relationship?
Poor Ben. In my mind he is conflicted. He’s not really superstitious, but there are too many instances of premature death amongst the women in his family and he just does not want to take a chance with Lisa. She’s more pragmatic and never for a moment thinks a cursed diamond can affect her life – although, it does, in many ways!
Global warming is evident in the modern thread. Tell us how it plays a part in your story and its effects on Mont Blanc.
I’ve seen at first-hand how the glaciers that originate on Mont Blanc are shrinking year by year. They leave scarred, desolate, rocky valleys.
Books have a lasting effect on our lives and even the directions we take. Though you cannot list every one that has had an impact on you, please select at least one example from your personal list for each category that best qualifies and why.
a) The book that inspired you to become a writer.
Not one particular book, but a couple of writers. Katherine Webb and Kate Morton. Both were writing dual timeline stories that I loved, and I decided to try writing one myself. Having said that, I was already writing other things – I always knew sooner or later I’d be a writer.
b) The funniest book you have ever read.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I still quote bits of it and chuckle.
c) The most gripping mystery dual timeline.
I think my favourite is Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey.
d) A great book you would recommend for a women’s book club from 2024.
I recently read Julie Cohen’s book “Louis and Louise” and it quite honestly blew me away. Lots to talk about in this book and I would think it would be excellent for a book club.
e) Your favourite adult classic literary fiction.
I love anything by Wilkie Collins.
f) A favourite children’s book.
The ‘Adventure’ series by Enid Blyton. Especially the Castle of Adventure, which was inspired by Corfe Castle which is near where I live.
g) A book you wish you had written!
Anything that’s been made into a film – honestly it’s my dream to see something I’ve written turned into a film. I’m not sure dual timelines lend themselves too well to dramatisation but who knows?
Are you working on a new project and can you provide a few hints of what is to come?
Yes, I’m working on two novels at the moment. One, that’s the last of my current contract, is set during a scorching hot summer in England. The other isn’t under contract and is a bit of a departure for me (it’s pure historical, based on a real character). It’s close to being completed but I’m not yet sure what to do with it.
Huge thank you to Kathleen for sharing her thoughts with us on her new novel!
