The Bookmarked interview... with Rowan Coleman

Rowan Coleman is an award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of multiple books including We Are All Made of Stars, Never Tear Us Apart, The Accidental Family and The Summer of Impossible Things. Under the pen name Bella Ellis she has also written a series of novels which reimagines the Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne – as amateur sleuths before they became famous authors.

Her forthcoming novel, released on September 25th and written under the pen name Stella Hayward, is called The Good Boy and is a whimsical rom-com with lightly magical elements. It follows main character Genie who, after her grandmother bestows upon her a birthday wish, mistakenly turns her beloved dog Rory into a human.

The Good Boy is very funny and very emotive, eliciting tears in both cases. "I don’t know what genre [The Good Boy] fits into," said Rowan, "but while I was writing it I referred to it as my crazy dog book."

Below, Rowan discusses how being a 'dog parent' inspired her new novel, as did deciding to write "to give myself back some joy". She also talks about the pros and cons of writing under different pen names and her love of Jayne Eyre and the Brontë sisters, highlights the books and films she loves, and reveals the novel she's most proud of.

You’re a dog owner; were your dogs an inspiration for the creation of The Good Boy?

Yes, my dogs, and the love and joy they bring into my life come what may, were definitely part of the inspiration behind The Good Boy, as well as a lovely dog I knew for ten years called Rory. I mean, are you even a dog parent if you don’t constantly narrate your dog's inner thoughts?

"Are you even a dog parent if you don’t constantly narrate your dog's inner thoughts?"

Our family is always doing that, and it makes me laugh a lot, so I thought to myself, what would happen if my dogs could actually talk to me? What would they say? Well, in The Good Boy, Rory has a lot to say about cheese, but also a lot of good advice for Genie on how to live in the moment, and face her true feelings for her best friend, Miles.

Above: Rowan Coleman's latest book, released at the end of this month, is the story of love, longing, and a dog that becomes a man!

You mentioned on Mark Stay’s podcast that you wrote this book speculatively; what difference was there between writing The Good Boy and other, contracted novels? 

I wrote the The Good Boy just for me, because I wanted to write the book I wanted to read, which was real world and grounded in real feelings, but which wasn’t afraid to be romantic and whimsical and a little bit magic. And I wrote it to give myself back some joy after a few years of being battered by the slings and arrows of publishing.

"I wrote The Good Boy to give myself back some joy after a few years of being battered by the slings and arrows of publishing."

It was just a really happy process, and very freeing, even though it was a little bit scary not knowing what the end game would be. I’m delighted its found a publisher on both sides of the Atlantic, and its made me really want to write more Stella books. I have so many fun and joyous ideas, and the world needs joy right now! 

Scarborough itself feels like a character in the novel; was that intentional, and does the place in which you live reflect how and what you write?

I love really getting to know the location I’m writing about, I’ve even travelled across the Atlantic so I can get the authentic feel and sense of a place. Luckily for me Scarborough is on my doorstep, and its been really fun brining it to life on the page. As a UK, northern, working class, seaside town Scarborough has its issues, but it’s also really beautiful, friendly and full of magic. It was lovely to bring it to the page. 

You write under your own name as well as two pseudonyms; why do you choose to do that and what are the pros and cons of doing so? 

The pros are that it's clearly defining that a Stella Hayward novel is different from a Bella Ellis or a Rowan Coleman novel! I expect if I had just stuck to my original lane and written the same type of book on repeat for two decades I’d have more career stability – though I can’t know that – and besides, my side-projects have brought me some of the most amazing experiences as an author! 

Above: Rowan writes under her own name, as well as under the name Bella Ellis for her Brontë sisters series, and Stella Hayward for her new book, The Good Boy.

Are we likely to see Rory, Genie and Miles again? 

I don’t have any plans yet, but I did find myself toying with the idea of what would happen if Matilda the cat got turned into a human…

Was your love of Jane Eyre the jumping off point for your Brontë sisters mystery series and, if so, did that love make you more or less nervous about using the Brontës as characters in your books?

It was certainly the beginning of a long road that lead me to writing the Brontë Mysteries, but actually the idea came when I was in the middle of writing a Wuthering Heights-inspired novel called The Girl at the Window, and I thought about including the Brontë sisters in the novel [and them] trying to solve the same mystery as my contemporary heroine. Then I thought, hang on a minute, that would make a great novel in its own right!

I was nervous about fictionalising the lives of my heroines, particularly as I really wanted to bring something new to their lives alongside a retelling of the biographical facts, and I wanted them to have fun and go on adventures and be witty and snippy and very human.

For Brontë fans there are plenty of Easter eggs in the books that show them I’ve really worked hard and done my research to get the details right. For non-Brontë fans [the books] are exciting, pretty dark, sometimes a bit spooky, gothic mysteries. The best thing is when people who have never read the Brontë novels decide to give them a try after reading The Brontë Mysteries series... that always pleases me! 

Above: Rowan's books written under the Bella Ellis pen name are a series which imagines that, before they were renowned authors, the Brontë sisters were amateur sleuths.

What's the first book you remember loving?

This is a an easy one, and I should probably say something different, but it’s Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I first read it when I was about ten – spoiler free – and I still remember how thrilling, tragic and downright terrifying that first read was. (I wasn’t at all tuned into the love story then).

"I still remember how thrilling, tragic and downright terrifying that first read was."

I credit that book for my love of ghost stories, gothic and horror, and why I wanted to be a writer. I’ve read it many, many times since and it is just a masterpiece of literature.

Which literary character would you most like to be?

This is a tricky one, I can’t think of a literary character I’d like to be like because all my most beloved characters are flawed people with near insurmountable obstacles to overcome. If it’s not cheating I’m going to say a cameo character from my Brontë Mysteries series called Catherine Crowe.

Catherine was a real, fantastically successful mid-19^th century author who outsold Dickens and knew the Brontës. She lived and worked on her terms, leaving a bit of scandal in her wake. Although she died in poverty and obscurity her research into the paranormal, The Night-side of Nature, is a seminal work and still sells copies to this day. So, I’d be a mid-19^th century, middle-aged, sexy ghost hunter, but I’d try to avoid the bit where she got committed to an asylum.

Above: The Night-side of Nature, a mid-19th century book by Catherine Crowe, who was a contemporary of the Brontë sisters.

What's your favourite movie/TV show adapted from a book?

American Psycho. I know this is about to remade, but it will have to pull off something incredible to beat Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. He pulls off the soulless, glossy emptiness of the 80s vapid serial killer to perfection.

"Love the book, love the movie, if love is the right word for something that’s so relentlessly gruesome and darkly funny."

Love the book, love the movie, if 'love' is the right word for something that’s so relentlessly gruesome and darkly funny. On a softer side I also loved the 80s TV adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, which actually got me to read the books, and I loved a lot about the Game of Thrones series... apart from, you know, that final season.

Above: Bret Easton Ellis's controversial 1991 book was made into a film starring Christian Bale in 2000.

Which book do you think should be adapted for the screen that, so far, hasn't been?

Well, I guess everyone says something they’ve written, right? But, apart from that, I just read a book called A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki, and I think it would make a beautiful movie that probably isn’t at all what Hollywood is doing right now.

Where's your favourite place to write? 

At the moment I live in a draughty old Victorian house in Scarborough, and it has a tiny turret which my husband made into a tiny writing space for me (about five feet by five feet). Out of one window I can see the sea and, as a girl who always wanted a turret, it would be hard to think of a more beautiful place to write.

Describe your perfect writing set-up?

I have a dodgy neck, so everything is ergonomic, I like a big monitor and curvy keyboard. I like it to be a nice day, but not too hot or too cold, and for my head to be focused and in the game. The last one is the hardest to keep consistent.

"It’s not often I read a book that makes me gasp, cry, laugh and really think, but his story ticked all those boxes."

What was the last book you read, and would you recommend it? 

I just finished listening to The Boy Who Lived, by David Holmes. David was the stunt double for Harry Potter and broke his neck during filming, changing his life forever. It’s not often I read a book that makes me gasp, cry, laugh and really think, but his story, read by him, ticked all those boxes. Highly recommended.

Above: Rowan has just finished the autobiography of David Holmes, who broke his neck while performing as Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double when making Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

Which book is next on your reading list? 

I don’t know at the moment. I’m dyslexic, and though it doesn’t stop me writing, it does mean I get tired easily when I’m reading, so I prefer to listen. So, I keep my eye out for the books that other people are talking about, and that way I get to ‘read’ a much wider selection of interesting books than I otherwise would. I’m on the hunt for a recommendation right now.

Plotter or pantser?

Bit of both. I tend to know where I want the book to end, but usually I have no idea how I’m going to get there.

"I don’t really feel beholden to read anything. Reading is a leisure activity so I only read things that will give me joy."

You're in a book club with four other authors; who would you choose? 

Charlotte Brontë, Mary Shelly, Catherine Crowe and Jane Austen, just for the plot. Or, if they have to be alive, my best writing pals Julie Cohen, Mark Stay, Angela Clarke and Kate Harrison. We are all very different writers, and all like to argue about everything.

What book do you think you should have read, but still haven't?

I don’t really feel beholden to read anything. Reading is a leisure activity so I only read things that will give me joy, so I just let myself be lead by whatever interesting book comes up.

Which of your own books are you most proud of? 

Hard to say, because I am proud of them all for different reasons. I’m really proud of my latest novel Never Tear Us Apart, because it was written under very difficult circumstances, but the book I had the happiest experience writing, and one that has connected with a lot of readers is The Summer of Impossible Things. Happy writers write really good books. *gives publishing a hard stare.

Above: Rowan's bestseller, The Summer of Impossible Things, is the book she had the happiest experience writing.

How do you organise your bookshelves? 

Badly.

What’s your favourite book?

Jane Eyre, obviously.

What are you currently working on?

I’m in a state of creative flux, so I don’t know that answer to that question yet. Watch this space!

To pre-order a copy of The Good Boy, click here.

If you're a published author and would like to be considered for a Bookmarked interview, drop me a line at maxelwoodwrites@gmail.com