Author Interview

Lorna Cook tells Caroline Lindsay of ideas for books that come to her in the night and writing between two time shifts

It was when Lorna Cook took time off from work to have her youngest child that she had the idea for her first novel ,The Forgotten Village. She has just published her second book, The Forbidden Promise, set in Scotland in 1940 and 2020.

“Most of my ideas come from falling down an internet rabbit hole or when I’m trying to fall asleep,” says Lorna.

“When ideas come in the middle of the night it’s a mix of inconvenience and complete relief that ideas do continue to come!

“The inspiration for The Forbidden Promise came while I was trying to drift off to sleep. The first scene came to me – the first part of the historical thread set in the middle of the war – and then the next scene and then the next.

“I had the start of the novel and it developed from there,” she continues.

Lorna loves Scotland and wishes she could visit more often. “I’ve been three times in total over the past 10 years, which is not enough.

“For me, it’s so very rare that I go back to the same place twice but Scotland has captured my heart – the Highlands in particular – and I know I’ll be back again. The castles, the people, the history, the ever-changing scenery.”

Is it difficult writing between two different time shifts? “There are so many pros and cons,” she says. “In the past, we follow a mystery as it unravels and in the present day section it’s solved.

“I love to think that readers are speculating, enjoying themselves, engrossed in the time and the mystery as I am when I’m writing it.

“And seeing the daily differences between two heroines, whose storylines bounce off each other without knowing it from across an almost 80-year divide,” she smiles.

“What is difficult is managing the ‘reveals’ when it’s time to give the reader the answers to the mystery they’ve invested themselves in.

“I want the twists and the payoff for the reader to be the very best they can be – a huge reward and a thank-you for reading my novel rather than watching Netflix!”

Lorna describes a typical writing day: “I start quite late, once I’ve got the school run and the dishwasher and the laundry sorted. Then there’s my little dog to walk.

“By about 10.30am I’m at my desk and then I’m unstoppable – until it’s time for lunch or a little check of social media.

“I can go until about 6pm, by which point I’m done and it’s time to cook the kids’ dinner, bath time and then ferry them to bed before I collapse in front of the TV with a glass of wine.”

Currently finishing writing her third book, Lorna plans to take a “little breather” after that.

“I say a little breather but what always happens is a shiny new idea comes along – thank goodness! – and I think: ‘Oh I’ll just write a few lines,’ and then before I know it I’ll be headlong into writing book four!”

● The Forbidden Promise by Lorna Cook is published by Avon, priced £7.99.