We chat to author Mary Wood about her book “The Forgotten Daughter”

Every month, the “Friend” teams up with publisher Pan Macmillan to bring you a great-value book offer. This issue, we chat to author Mary Wood.

QCould you tell us a bit about the plot of the novel?

A“The Forgotten Daughter” is the first in “The Girls Who Went To War” series.

Flora, Ella and Mags meet as VADS posted to Belgium at the beginning of WWI.

The friendship they form is to last them a lifetime and sustain them through the terrifying ordeal of being trapped behind enemy lines.

Each girl has a past that she is escaping, and each is the subject of her own book in the series.

“The Forgotten Daughter” is Flora’s story. A strong young woman, Flora suffers rejection by her wealthy family, but is determined to survive – eventually finding a deep and lasting love, which a chance meeting nearly destroys, as a terrible secret is uncovered.

QWhat gets you through the working day? Tea? Coffee?

ABoth are nectar during a long session. I read somewhere that water was good for the brain, so always have a glass on my desk.

But otherwise, mostly tea. Though always coffee at 11ish – used to be with a biscuit, but the doctor has put a stop to that, sadly. He banned all the foods I love. Not very nice of him!

QDo you get distracted while you’re writing, or are you so focused that you’re hardly aware of the rest of the world?

AI am very focused. I begin at five a.m. and write till around ten, when I relax with social media for a while. Then I continue till around four o’clock. My wonderful husband feeds and waters me as I write.

QThe first two books in this series are written, is that right? How many are you planning?

AThree are written and what I call “in the bag”, which is when they are accepted by my lovely editor at Pan Macmillan. Two are edited and the third is in the editing process. The fourth is two chapters into being written, and will be the last in the series. It tells the story of the next generation.

QHow do you celebrate when you’ve finished writing one?

AFirst of all, I shout “Yeah!” Then I breathe, before telling everyone and his dog that I have written “The End”. This includes e-mailing my agent and my editor, and lastly I start to feel bereft, and plot my next one.

QDo you think your writing style has changed through your books – what do you do differently now from when you first started?

AI don’t think there is a big change in the way I write, but the process is different. I used to have an idea and sit and write, letting my imagination take me.

Now I am more methodical and plan and research first. This helps me to enjoy the journey more.

QDo you know the end of each novel before you start?

AYes. My synopsis is very detailed, and does give an ending. The path there will twist and turn away and back to my plan, but the ending usually works out as planned.