I have a confession to make: I couldn’t think of a title for this book. Every idea I had seemed ridiculous or gave the plot away. I came up with Sea of Lost Love but wasn’t, and still am not, happy with it. It says nothing about the book. But there it is. I should have just called it Monty.
Writing a book once a year means the turn around is very quick. No sooner have I handed one book in than I start the next. I had just written about France and was deliberating where to set the next book when I went to stay with an old school friend in Puglia, southern Italy. I was immediately captivated by the old monastery she has converted into a hotel with her husband. It’s delightful, charming and magical. So, I found my location, pulled out my notebook and started to write down ideas. It’s easy to be inspired in Italy. Everything inspires: the sounds, the smells, the feelings such beauty arouses in the very depth of one’s soul.
I based Sea of Lost Love in Cornwall in 1951. I adore the sea and love to relive my childhood on those windy, rugged beaches. I made up both towns. This novel takes place over a few weeks. I had written so many books spread over decades that it was quite refreshing to limit it to such a short time frame. Again, I had to plan the novel very carefully not to give away the mystery. My parents-in-law were very helpful with small details about the 1950s and having been to Puglia, there wasn’t much research required.
I think the most enjoyable aspect of writing novels for me is thinking up new characters. Every day I see someone who inspires me, either because they’re outrageously ghastly, or wonderfully eccentric. I’m always on the look out.
