Author of the Month | Beth O'Leary

Hey Bookworms,

I'm unbelievably excited to announce Beth O'Leary (pictured) is my Author of the Month for April. Her novels are totally unique plots, with characters that will sweep you up envelop you in their worlds and leave you feeling uplifted with that warm fuzzy glow inside.

Beth wrote her debut novel The Flatshare on her train journey to work. She is now writing novels full time and if she's not at her desk, you'll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).  

Her second book The Switch is out on Thursday (16th April) I've been lucky enough to read a copy already and I can wholeheartedly recommend it!  

Anyway, I shall stop my chattering and I won't make you wait any longer without further ado here is my Q&A with the fabulous lady herself...

Were you surprised by the enormously positive reception of The Flatshare? 

Yes! When I’m doubting myself about my next project (i.e. all the time) my boyfriend reminds me that I was totally convinced that The Flatshare was rubbish and I nearly didn’t send it to any literary agents for that very reason, so clearly my judgement cannot be trusted when it comes to my own books…

I’m still marvelling over how lucky I’ve been with the reception to The Flatshare. I get a little bubble of joy in my chest every time a reader says they enjoyed it 🙂

Did you find it hard to let Tiffy & Leon go when you finished writing about them? 

I did. Writing Leena in The Switch was hard because Tiffy was so loud in my head, I couldn’t quieten her down enough to find my new heroine. Eventually I sort of passed Tiffy and Leon over to readers, I think – they belong to everyone now, not just to me! And then Leena and Eileen took over, and suddenly my brain was filled with those two instead.

What is the most surprising thing you have discovered when writing your novels? 

Ooh what a good question! Actually I’m often surprised at the end of a first draft, because that’s the most magical part of the process – when you go from absolute zero, blank page, no ideas to a whole 90,000 words of world you just created all by yourself.

I write first drafts very fast and messily, so at the end when I take stock I think, god, did I really just make all that stuff up?

Can you tell us something about The Switch that isn't in the blurb? 

There’s a dog called Hank. And someone dresses as a satsuma. And I cried when I wrote the final scene…

How do you come up with the inspiration of The Flatshare & The Switch, they are both so unique?

Oh, thank you! The Flatshare was inspired by living with my boyfriend – he’s a junior doctor and worked lots of night shifts, so we were never home at the same time. I loved the idea of two strangers living like that – what would they learn about one another from living together without ever meeting?

The Switch was inspired by happy times spent with my grandmother in the little village where she lived. I liked the idea of a young woman having to step into her grandma’s shoes, and then I decided… well, what if they both had to do that? That’s how the concept became a full-on life swap.

Who are your favourite authors? 

I love Marian Keyes, Mhairi McFarlane, Ayisha Malik, Sophie Kinsella, and classic authors like Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth. All brilliantly funny women who have an amazing talent for capturing flawed and loveable characters.

Where is your favourite place to write? 

My new office! We moved house at the end of last year and I’m all set up in here now – I absolutely love it. The desk is underneath a big window which looks out to the woods by our house, and there’s a radiator under the desk so I can put my feet on that when I get cold. My dog has a special basket in there, though right now she’s just sprawled across the middle of the floor…

What do you enjoy doing when you aren't writing? 

I love baking and cooking – I’d happily spend a whole day preparing dinner, and have a terrible tendency to make a giant three-tier cake with nobody but me and my boyfriend to eat it (this is happening a lot now we’re in lockdown…) I also love walking the dog in the countryside – I feel most like myself when I’m outdoors.

Which book is currently on your bedside table?

I actually just finished a lovely book called Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis. It’s so sweet and poignant and romantic. It publishes in August, so look out for it!

Are you working on your 3rd novel? Can you give us any clues about it?

I am working on it! I can’t wait to tell everyone all about it – but for now my lips are sealed. Even the lovely team at Quercus Books haven’t read it yet…

Thank-you Beth is was amazing chatting with you! 

Booklovelies, my review of The Switch is here & if you haven't read it you can find my review of The Flatshare here. 😊