BOOKSHELF It felt like a real gamble when I wrote this book. I was thinking ‘Am I going to be able to pay my mortgage?’

Bestselling author Catherine Isaac tells how a gamble to write under a new name paid off, leading to the movie rights being snapped up for her latest novel had to find a new voice for myself. mum Jess and her 10-year-old son. life,” says Catherine. “She is just an

“It wasn’t an easy book to write Her mother Susan lies in a nursing amazing person.” and there was an awful lot of home battling a debilitating disease You Me Everything is being research involved. I wanted to at just 53 and she forces Jess to face published in 20 territories make sure I had all the details the fact that her son needs his including Germany, France, Spain, right.” father. Norway, Sweden and, for the first

The book is now being praised on Equipped with her mother’s time, in America as well. Graham Norton’s radio show – “I advice and passports, they set off to Catherine, who recently went to heard it while driving in my car and spend the summer in the beautiful Norway to promote the novel, says: nearly crashed,” laughs Catherine hills of the Dordogne, where “It is beyond exciting. I’ve been – when I See You and I Let You Go ex-boyfriend Adam has set up working hand in hand with top author Clare Mackintosh urged home. There her greatest problem editor Pamela Dorman in America. Graham and listeners to read it lies... she must make Adam fall in “She has worked on books like saying it was “heartbreakingly love with his own son. Me Before You, Bridget Jones’s beautiful”. Catherine laughingly admits she Diary and The Secret Life of Bees

The novel has also been optioned has drawn on her experiences with and I have learned so much from for film by Lionsgate and been her own sons – Otis, Lucas and her.” praised by other top writers such as Isaac – while writing the character So any thoughts on the perfect Jenny Colgan, who called it of young William, but is quick to leading man for the movie? “heartwarming, thoughtful and point out that although William is “Oh, I should have an answer very special”. very, very bad at football in the ready for this,” laughs Catherine. “I

One Thousand Stars And You book, her eldest, 12-year-old Otis, really don’t know. I suppose Brad writer Isabelle Broom confessed: “I is a star soccer player. Pitt’s too old to play the character finished it and sobbed off all my Catherine’s parents Jean in the book? SPF50. It broke my heart and made and Phil were “They have said they are it soar.” involved in a keeping the characters

But Catherine says she did worry horrific car British for the movie and about bringing out a novel under a accident before she with Twilight and The new name that was not familiar to and her brother Fault In Our Stars they everyone. were born and her cast rising new stars,

“It felt like a real gamble when I mother ended up which I think worked wrote You Me Everything. It felt like in a wheelchair. really well. a massive leap of faith. I was “They are nothing “Leading men? Let me thinking ‘Am I going to be able to like the parents in get back to you on that.” pay my mortgage?’ It was such a the book, of course, huge gamble, but all credit to my but I suppose the publishers for believing in the book story does reflect and supporting it.” my mother’s

The novel follows the fortunes of positive attitude to