Interview with Liz Eeles - Author of 'The Key to the Last House Before the Sea’

Interview with Liz Eeles - Author

‘The Key to the Last House Before the Sea’

Publisher: Bookouture

Novel Release date: August 19th, 2022

Review of ‘The Key to the Last House Before the Sea’

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INTERVIEW

Welcome Liz! Lovely to have you as a guest today. Please provide the inspiration behind The Key to the Last House Before the Sea and a short overview of the story?

The Key to the Last House Before the Sea, set in Devon, is about new beginnings. It focuses on single mum, Nessa, who ends up living in a tumbledown cottage in the middle of nowhere in a bid to make a better life for herself and her daughter. But her plans are thwarted by property developer, Gabriel, who doesn’t realise how much his life is about to change.

The novel features an abandoned village which has been partly washed away by the sea – a location inspired by a place I love to visit, Widford in the Cotswolds. Little remains of the mediaeval village of Widford other than an ancient church and dips in the land where buildings once stood. I’m fascinated by the eerie, slightly melancholy ambience of the place, and I loved creating a similar atmosphere in my fictional village on the Devon coast.

Can you share how you chose your character’s names for The Key to the Last House Before the Sea? As well as the place name of Heaven’s Cove?

I like to work out when my characters would have been born, research the most popular names given to babies born that year, and choose the one that fits the best. As for the place name, Heaven’s Cove, I wanted the village to sound like the sort of place we’d all want to visit. I’d quite like to live there, to be honest. If only it was real…

Who is your favourite character in The Key to the Last House Before the Sea and why?

It’s got to be anxious, menopausal, mother-in-law from hell, Valerie. I loved writing her passive-aggressive dialogue and, as an anxious, menopausal woman myself, I found it easy to identify with her. Fortunately, my family are far more supportive than Valerie’s are in the book, and my mother-in-law is lovely!

If you could describe Nessa, Gabriel and Valerie in three words each, what would they be?

Nessa – brave, vulnerable, loving

Gabriel – confused, thwarted, gentle

Valerie – disappointed, sad, feisty

Your stories are about relationships and families. What challenges did Nessa face as a single mom?

I enjoy writing about relationships and families, which underpin everything in life. I imagine the challenges faced by single parents are immense. One particular issue Nessa faces in the book is loneliness, laced with crushing responsibility – it must be so hard, trying to do the best for your child without enough support. Nessa’s feckless ex-husband is pretty hopeless, so everything falls on her shoulders.

 Which scene was the hardest to write and what obstacles did you need to overcome?

The middle of a book is always the hardest to write, and it was no different with The Key to the Last House Before the Sea. I’m full of hope when I start writing a new book, and filled with a sense of achievement when I get to the end. But the middle bit – when I seem to have been writing for years and yet the end is still so far away – can be tough going. The middle always needs the most editing.

What are the main themes of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea?

Parental love, and being brave enough to live the life you want.

Please share an overview of your path to publishing and how it has changed your life?

I thought I’d missed the boat when I hit my fifties and still wasn’t a published author. But I kept on entering writing competitions and going to writing events and submitting my work to agents and publishers – and my persistence finally paid off. I was shortlisted in a couple of national novel writing competitions, and later signed by publisher Bookouture to write three romantic comedies. I’m still writing for Bookouture, five years on, and The Key to the Last House Before the Sea is my tenth novel. How has being published changed my life? Writing books can be hard work, but I’m getting to do what I love for a living, which is pretty awesome.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? Did a particular book, author or experience spark your desire?

I’ve always written in some form or other – I loved English at school and, after going to journalism college, I worked as a journalist and then a press officer for years. I wrote fiction in my spare time and dreamed of being an author. I don’t think one book or person triggered my desire to be an author – it’s something I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember. But I was inspired by authors such as Jill Mansell, Carole Matthews and Marian Keyes.

What has been your greatest accomplishment as a writer?

Ooh, that’s a hard one to answer. One high point, recently, was discovering that more than 200,000 copies of my books have been sold. That took my breath away. I’m also touched when readers say my books have cheered them up or helped them through a tough time. That’s lovely to hear. But I guess my greatest personal accomplishment, as someone diagnosed with anxiety disorder OCD, has been pushing through my anxiety to write books in the first place. Being published can be daunting and stressful at times, but the best bits (including being in contact with readers across the world) make it all worthwhile.

History, romance and mystery seem to be key elements of your Heaven’s Cove series. Was this a planned direction? Are you a plotter, pantser or combination writer?

Moving from writing romantic comedies (my first six novels) to writing women’s fiction (my latest four books) seemed a natural progression - my romcoms have always featured lots of emotion and serious themes. I wasn’t sure, at first, about leaving romcoms behind because I love writing funny books, but it was definitely the right move. There aren’t as many jokes in my women’s fiction books – obviously – but I still aim to include the uplifting feel and page-turning quality that romcoms often possess.

When it comes to writing, I’m definitely a plotter. My attempts at being a pantser end in tears, with me staring despairingly at a blank page. I plot my novels on Post-It notes so I have a basic structure, and work from that.

Do you have any favourite foods you like to eat or activities you like to do that inspire or motivate you while writing your novels?

Crisps! I eat LOTS of them when writing. My diet is restricted because I have a number of severe food allergies, so I can’t binge on cakes, biscuits or chocolate – which is probably just as well. I love walking by the sea and often take myself off for a stroll when I’m having a bad writing day. The fresh air and exercise seem to help.

Please provide the titles of your top three favourite books you read this year?

Another difficult question because I’ve read a number of very good books lately. Here are three of my favourites:

Dead Lions by Mick Herron – a witty thriller about failed spies, which features a host of fabulous characters. I’m reading my way through the whole series.

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan – a real page turner. I devoured this on holiday and loved it.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty – my first book by Liane Moriarty and definitely not my last. A wonderful portrayal of a family falling apart.

What are you currently working on for your next publication? Are there more Heaven’s Cove books planned for the series?

I certainly hope so because I love writing about Heaven’s Cove, and there are more stories to be told. I can’t say any more at the moment – it’s a bit hush-hush – but my fingers are crossed!

Thank you, Liz, for answering all my questions. Best wishes on the release of your newest novel!