5. What do you do when you aren’t writing? What do you do to relax and get away from it all?
I don’t think you ever truly escape as a writer because your brain is wired to seek out stories. I often find that it conjures up its best work when I’m meant to be on a break. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy getting away from my desk because I absolutely do. When I’m not writing I like to cook with my teenage
Bella kindly answered a few of my questions.
I always have biscuits in my desk in case of emergencies. I love a good biscuit and whilst I am a sucker for something new I do have some old favourites I return to regularly. Favourites include: Custard creams because their fun and always cheer me up – even the name makes me smile, chocolate digestive but with plain chocolate for my serious side, Bahlsen Leibniz because they make me feel decadent, Biscoff because they are everything and I always have rich tea fingers for dunking and in case I run out of the interesting ones.
They each set out to prove that the library isn’t just about books – it is the heart of their community. Together they discover some things are worth fighting for.
2. What inspired the book?
6. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life which book would it be?
Bella Osborne ‘s novels include Meet Me at Pebble Beach, The Girls, A Family Holiday and It Started at Sunset Cottage. Her latest novel, The Library, was published by Aria on 6 January 2022.
4. Having been through the publishing process a number of times, is there anything about the process of creating a novel that still surprises you?
Tom is a teenager and blends into the background of life. After a row with his dad, and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library. Tom unwittingly ends up with a bagful of romance novels and comes under the suspicion of Maggie.
When they meet, they recognise something in each other that will change both their lives for ever.
About the Book
Maggie is a pensioner and has been happily alone for ten years, at least that’s what she tells herself. When Tom comes to her rescue a friendship develops that could change her life. As Maggie helps Tom to stand up for himself, Tom helps Maggie realise the mistakes of her past don’t have to define her future.
3. Are you a plan, plan, plan writer or do you sit down and see where the words take you?
It’s ultimately an uplifting read which focuses on two very different individuals who are brought together by their local library.
Teenager Tom has always blended into the background of life. After a row with his dad and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library.
Oh my word – what a hard question to answer! I think I would have to go with Bridget Jones’s Diary because it’s an old favourite which takes me back to a carefree time and still makes me laugh.
They are determined to save it – because some things are worth fighting for.
I am a huge planner. I love that stage of the process where I’m working out the plot and getting to know my characters. I need to understand my main characters, their backgrounds and goals before I can start to write the story. I use a lot of sticky notes and coloured pens to map everything out and that gets me excited to write the first draft.
I think it’s probably that you just don’t know what is going to fly and what’s going to die. You can write your best book, your editor can make it even better and your publishers can do their very best to promote it but what flies up the charts and what doesn’t is a complete lottery. I have read some fantastic books recently which so deserved to be bestsellers.
Then the library comes under threat of closure, and they must join forces to prove that it’s not just about books – it’s the heart of their community.
7. I like to end my Q&As with the same question so here we go. During all the Q&As and interviews you’ve done what question have you not been asked that you wish had been asked – and what’s the answer?
I usually write romantic comedy but these characters just popped into my head and they were so strong I couldn’t ignore them. My agent had been fighting to save her local library so that may have been playing on my mind but this unlikely pair seemed the perfect duo to come together to fight for their village library. I am also a huge fan of libraries so if this encourages just one person to use theirs that would make me very happy.
Pensioner Maggie has been happily alone with her beloved novels for ten years – at least, that’s what she tells herself.
What’s your favourite biscuit?
daughter, play board games as a family and chill out with a glass of wine with friends as well as enjoying a good book, obviously.
1. Tell us a little about The Library.
